Dangerous Ebola Outbreak in Central Africa

The World Health Organization recently labeled the current Ebola outbreak in Congo-Kinshasa and Western Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern” (The Guardian, May 17, 2026). This indicates a far greater level of concern than Central African outbreaks of the past. This particular strain of Ebola cannot be easily tested for, and there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Public health officials are also very concerned about “the scale and speed” of the virus’ transmission (Deutsche Welle, May 19, 2026). Thanks to air travel, it can spread from one country to another very quicky. Carrying a mortality rate of 25 to 90 percent—depending on various factors—Ebola is highly contagious and is spread through bodily fluids of both living and dead people. This is the seventeenth Ebola outbreak in Congo-Kinshasa. One of the deadliest occurred from 2018 to 2020, killing almost 2,300 people.

Public health experts are particularly concerned about this outbreak because it spread for weeks before being detected. Because of the outbreak, countries bordering the infected areas are closing their borders, but public health officials are warning against border closures because they could result in more illegal and unmonitored border crossings, possibly aiding the spread of the deadly virus (Reuters, May 20, 2026).

This latest outbreak will likely be contained. However, as viruses mutate, they become harder to identify and treat. As air travel continues, infections can be more easily spread across the globe, especially when the period between infection and the display of symptoms is long. The Bible foretells a time at the end of the age when many devastating events will impact the world, including the spread of deadly pestilences (Revelation 6:7–8). During this time, disease epidemics will ravage the world more profoundly than at any other time in human history. To learn more about end-time Bible prophecies to watch for, you can read or listen to our study guide Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return.