This week's Virus Watcher digest, covering August 16-23, 2026, reports 330 surveillance posts with no system-wide alerts triggered. The top diseases monitored include COVID-19, imported measles, West Nile virus disease, Ebola, and confirmed novel influenza A virus infections. The period was dominated by escalating outbreaks of Ebola and measles, alongside other significant public health warnings.
The Democratic Republic of Congo continues to grapple with a rapidly intensifying Ebola outbreak. Government data indicates the outbreak has now surpassed 5,000 cases and resulted in over 2,000 deaths, with responders warning of unprecedented spread that is outpacing containment efforts. Reports indicate a victim is dying every 30 minutes, compounded by resource challenges due to foreign aid budget cuts.
Measles also remains a critical concern, with 17,800 people diagnosed since March 15 and 885 deaths reported, primarily among children. The tragic and avoidable nature of this crisis, given measles was largely eradicated, underscores a failure in public health management and prevention.
Beyond these major outbreaks, several high and critical alerts were issued this week. India is facing a high alert for confirmed Novel Influenza A (H1N1) virus infections, while a critical alert was raised for COVID-19 detected in wastewater. Additionally, health authorities are investigating high alerts for an unknown disease in the United States Minor Outlying Islands linked to E. coli and salmonella, a national salmonella outbreak in the UK, and human rabies cases in Russia.
The week's top stories
-
Ebola outbreak in Congo surpasses 5,000 cases Government data confirms over 5,000 Ebola cases in Congo, with responders warning of unprecedented spread outpacing containment efforts.
-
Active Ebola outbreak in DRC results in over 2,000 deaths An active Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has led to over 2,000 deaths, with Oxfam highlighting resource shortages due to foreign aid cuts.
-
Measles diagnoses reach 17,800 with rising deaths A total of 17,800 people have been diagnosed with measles since March 15, with eight more deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
-
Ebola in Bunia, Congo The Ebola outbreak in Congo has reached 5,000 cases, with government data showing it is spreading at an unprecedented speed.
-
Novel Influenza A virus infections, Confirmed in India India's health ministry is urging vigilance for swine flu (H1N1) symptoms such as fever, cough, and body aches, emphasizing early recognition.
This week by the numbers: 330 surveillance items processed, 5 diseases active.
Previous week: Aug 9 · Next week: Aug 23 · All weeks
This is the digest we email every week. Get it in your inbox or read what's going around this week.