Authorities are concerned about the risk of further spread due to population high mobility, insecurity, and the proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan through a porous border.

Distribution of suspected and confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, as of 6 June 2026:

WHO assesses the risk of the epidemic as very high at the national level, high at regional levels, and low at the global level (including Switzerland and the EU/EEW). For details, see LINK.

ECDC assesses the risk for EU/EEA travellers in affected areas as low if precautions (see under “consequences for travelers”) are followed but emphasizes uncertainties and rapid evolution.

Due to the very recent declaration of the outbreak and the uncertainties related to the
epidemiological information, it is probable that the outbreak is much larger than what is currently
being reported – not only in regards to the number of affected cases, but also in its geographical extent.

The situation is evolving rapidly! Always stay informed before, during, and after travel! As of 11 June 2026:

• Avoid non-essential travel to the affected areas in DRC (provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu), and to nearby areas in neighboring countries, also due to the security situation (see EDA).
• For travel in Uganda and the DRC outside the affected areas: Keep yourself regularly updated via official sources. Be aware that conditions can change rapidly. Access to medical care - for accidents, fever, or other health concerns - may be limited and challenging and may involve risks, as may medical evacuation.

The following precautions are recommended for all travel to the DRC and Uganda as well as in neighboring countries:

General preventive measures:

• Wash hands regularly and carefully using soap and water (or alcohol gel if soap is unavailable).
  
• Avoid contact with sick people who have symptoms, such as fever, muscle pain, and rash.
  
• Avoid contact with blood and other body fluids.
  
• Avoid visiting healthcare facilities in the affected areas for nonurgent medical care or non-medical reasons.
• Avoid contact with dead bodies or items that have been in contact with dead bodies, participating in funeral or burial rituals, or attending a funeral or burial. 
  
• Avoid handling, cooking, or eating bush/wild meat (meat of wild/feral mammals killed for food).
  
• Wash and peel fruit and vegetables before consumption.
  
• Avoid visiting mines or bat caves and contact with all wild animals; alive or dead, particularly bats and the great apes.
  
• Practice safer sex.
• Stay informed for entry and exit requirements by countries, see IATA LINK.
• If you feel unwell during flight, inform crew immediately and avoid close physical contact with other passengers.

Of note: there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment against Ebola diseased caused by Bundibugyo virus. For humanitarian missions, consultation with a travel medicine specialist is recommended.

• Watch for symptoms (see below).
• Expect health screening at departure.
• Stay reachable if contacted by health authorities.
• Follow quarantine measures established by your local health authorities.

! In case of symptoms headache, body aches, muscle pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea during your stay in and for 21 days after leaving north-eastern D.R. Congo (province of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu) and /or Uganda, especially the affected areas:

• Separate yourself from others (isolate) immediately.
  
• Do not travel.
  
• By phone: contact local health authorities or a healthcare facility for a thorough evaluation of your risk (e.g. tropical institute or travel clinic or university hospital infectious disease unit).
  
• Always state that you were in the affected areas and you may have had a possible exposure to Ebola (incubation period: 2-21 days). 
• While under investigation as a suspected case, please also raise the issue of a malaria test and other investigations.
• Details for Ebola disease: see BAG and RKI (in German) or ECDC (in English).

Recommendations of the Swiss Expert Committee for Travel Medicine (as of 11 June 2026, subject to change according to the evolving situation):
A suspected case is:

1. A symptomatic person (see FOPH case definition) with a history of stay within the last 21 days in north-eastern D.R. Congo (province of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu) and/or Uganda. 
                             AND
   
2. Having had a high-risk exposure* - evaluated by a specialist in tropical medicine or infectious diseases (in case of doubt, contact the Geneva Reference Centre for Emerging Virus Diseases).
   
   

Such cases should be isolated, tested, and reported to the Cantonal Physician and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health within 2 hours.

*High-risk exposure includes:

• Participation in local funerals; or
  
• Contact with a sick patient, their body fluids, and/or contaminated material, at home, during transport, or in a healthcare facility; or
  
• Attendance at a local healthcare facility.
  
• Direct contact with bats, rodents, non-human primates, living or dead, in or from Ebola disease affected areas, or bushmeat.
• Having unprotected sexual contact with a case up to six months after recovery.

Optimal mosquito protection 24/7 (at dusk and at night against malaria, during the day against other arboviruses).

Malaria chemoprophylaxis is recommended, including during the usually moderate transmission period from June to August in seasonal risk areas, given the recent increase in malaria cases and the forecasted increased precipitations in the upcoming months and favorable conditions for mosquito breeding. 

Follow official and media reports. Follow local instructions.

Avoid contact with sick persons and animals (bats) and avoid contact with their excreta. Avoid consumption of raw fruit juices and unwashed, especially bitten, tree fruits or vegetables. Consult a doctor if symptoms appear. There is neither a vaccination for humans nor a specific treatment.

Authorities are concerned about the risk of further spread due to population high mobility, insecurity, and the proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan through a porous border.

Distribution of suspected and confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, as of 24 May 2026:

WHO assesses the risk of the epidemic as very high at the national level, high at regional levels, and low at the global level (including Switzerland and the EU/EEW). For details, see LINK.

ECDC: Due to the very recent declaration of the outbreak and the uncertainties related to the
epidemiological information, it is probable that the outbreak is much larger than what is currently
being reported – not only in regard to the number of affected cases, but also to its geographical
extent.

ECDC assesses the risk for EU/EEA travellers in affected areas as low if precautions (see below) are followed but emphasizes uncertainties and rapid evolution.

ECDC considers that screening of returning travellers from affected areas (DRC, Uganda) would not be an effective measure to prevent introduction to Europe. This consideration is based on the lessons learned and results of the large EVD outbreak in West Africa between 2013 and 2016, where tens of thousands of cases were reported, transmission was ongoing in large urban centres, and hundreds of EU/EEA humanitarian and military personnel were deployed to the affected areas. Screening incoming travellers is time- and resource-consuming and will not effectively identify infected cases.

Priority should instead be given to providing travellers with clear information on symptoms, routes of transmission, and what to do if symptoms develop after arrival in the EU/EEA. For details, see ECDC Threat Assessment, 21 May 2026.

The situation is evolving rapidly! Always stay informed before, during, and after travel! As of 11 June 2026:

• Avoid non-essential travel to the affected areas in DRC (provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu), and to nearby areas in neighboring countries, also due to the security situation (see EDA).
  
• For travel in Uganda and the DRC outside the affected areas: Keep yourself regularly updated via official sources. Be aware that conditions can change rapidly. Access to medical care - for accidents, fever, or other health concerns - may be limited and challenging and may involve risks, as may medical evacuation.
  

The following precautions are recommended for all travel to the DRC and Uganda as well as in neighboring countries:

General preventive measures:

• Wash hands regularly and carefully using soap and water (or alcohol gel if soap is unavailable).
  
• Avoid contact with sick people who have symptoms, such as fever, muscle pain, and rash.
  
• Avoid contact with blood and other body fluids.
  
• Avoid visiting healthcare facilities in the affected areas for nonurgent medical care or non-medical reasons.
  
• Avoid contact with dead bodies or items that have been in contact with dead bodies, participating in funeral or burial rituals, or attending a funeral or burial. 
  
• Avoid handling, cooking, or eating bush/wild meat (meat of wild/feral mammals killed for food).
  
• Wash and peel fruit and vegetables before consumption.
  
• Avoid visiting mines or bat caves and contact with all wild animals; alive or dead, particularly bats and the great apes.
  
• Practice safer sex.
• Stay informed for entry and exit requirements by countries, see IATA LINK.
  
• If you feel unwell during flight, inform crew immediately and avoid close physical contact with other passengers.

Of note: there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment against Ebola diseased caused by Bundibugyo virus. For humanitarian missions, consultation with a travel medicine specialist is recommended.

• Watch for symptoms (see below).
  
• Expect health screening at departure.
  
• Stay reachable if contacted by health authorities.
  
• Follow quarantine measures established by your local health authorities.

! In case of symptoms such as fever or feeling feverish, and any of the following symptoms: headache, body aches, muscle pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea during your stay in and for 21 days after leaving north-eastern D.R. Congo (province of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu) and /or Uganda, especially the affected areas:

• Separate yourself from others (isolate) immediately.
  
• Do not travel.
  
• By phone: contact local health authorities or a healthcare facility for a thorough evaluation of your risk (e.g. tropical institute or travel clinic or university hospital infectious disease unit).
  
• Always state that you were in the affected areas and you may have had a possible exposure to Ebola (incubation period: 2-21 days). 
  
• While under investigation as a suspected case, please also raise the issue of a malaria test and other investigations as necessary based on the exposure region.
• Details for Ebola disease: see BAG and RKI (in German) or ECDC (in English).

Swiss ECTM recommendations (as of 11 June 2026, subject to change according to the evolving situation):
A suspected case is:

1. A symptomatic person (see FOPH case definition) with a history of stay within the last 21 days in north-eastern D.R. Congo (province of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu) and/or Uganda.    
                             AND
   
2. Having had a high-risk exposure* - evaluated by a specialist in infectious diseases or tropical medicine (in case of doubt, contact the Geneva Reference Centre for Emerging Virus Diseases).
   

Such cases should be isolated, tested, and reported to the Cantonal Physician and the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health within 2 hours.

*High-risk exposure includes:

• Participation in local funerals; or
  
• Contact with a sick patient, their body fluids, and/or contaminated material, at home, during transport, or in a healthcare facility; or
• Attendance at a local healthcare facility.
• Direct contact with bats, rodents, non-human primates, living or dead, in or from Ebola disease affected areas, or bushmeat.
• Having unprotected sexual contact with a case up to six months after recovery.
  
  

Optimal mosquito protection 24/7 (at dusk and at night against malaria, during the day against dengue, chikungunya and other arboviruses).

In case of fever, malaria should always be ruled out by blood test.