EU says Ebola infection risk in bloc remains 'very low' despite Africa outbreak concerns

Says EU maintaining close surveillance of developments and prepared to respond rapidly if necessary

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A man is carried from an ambulance as he arrives at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS

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The risk of Ebola infection in the European Union remained "very low," even for travellers to affected regions in Africa, a European Commission spokesperson said on Wednesday, as health officials continue monitoring the situation closely.

Speaking at the EU Commission's midday press briefing in Brussels, spokesperson Eva Hrncirova said the EU was maintaining close surveillance of developments and was prepared to respond rapidly if necessary.

"At the moment, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the risk of infection here in the European Union is very low, even for the people who travel to the region," Hrncirova said.

Read: Congo Ebola deaths rise to 131

She said there was currently "no indication" that people in Europe need to take measures beyond normal public health guidance.

"We know that diseases do not stop at the borders, and this is also the case of Ebola ... so this is why we think that the coordination and cooperation with the WHO ... with other countries, partners is absolutely essential," Hrncirova added.

Hrncirova added that the EU's Health Security Committee was meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation and discuss whether additional measures in Europe were necessary.

Read More: WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo, Uganda

As of May 20, there were nearly 600 suspected cases, including 139 suspected deaths, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Earlier on Wednesday, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that 33 Ebola cases had so far been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He said the WHO had been informed of two Ebola cases detected in travellers from the DRC in Kampala, the capital of Uganda.