ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.

Africa's top public health body confirmed the outbreak in Congo's Ituri Province on May 15. The case count has risen to around 150 suspected deaths and more than 600 suspected cases.

Health authorities say the outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, a rare type of Ebola that has no approved medicines or vaccines. The outbreak is occurring in a part of Congo facing conflict caused by armed rebel groups and the displacement of large numbers of people fleeing the violence.

"This is a context that is incredibly complicated to try to manage," said Lina Moses, an epidemiologist and disease ecologist at Tulane University who worked as a first responder coordinating contact tracing during the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak.

How Ebola can spread

Ebola disease is highly contagious and can be transmitted to people from wild animals. It spreads in the human population through contact with bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen, and with contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing.

The disease is rare but severe and often fatal in people. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding.

The first Ebola virus to be identified was in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now Congo. The first outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests.

What the WHO's emergency declaration means

The WHO says the latest Ebola outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, such as COVID-19, and advises against closing international borders.

Its emergency declaration is meant to spur donors into action. However, the global response to previous declarations has been mixed.

When the WHO declared mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa as a global emergency in 2024, experts at the time said it did little to get supplies like diagnostic tests, medicines and vaccines to affected countries quickly.

An array of aid agencies are trying to help. WHO representatives in Congo said organizations on the ground included UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration, Médecins Sans Frontières, the World Food Program and the Red Cross.

Where the outbreak started

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the first cases were reported in late April in Bunia, the capital of Congo's Ituri Province, and the nearby Mongbwalu health zone, a high-traffic mining area. However, officials say they are not certain of the source and the outbreak may have started weeks earlier and gone unnoticed.

Ituri is in remote eastern Congo, with poor road networks and health facilities, and is more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the capital, Kinshasa.

The Africa CDC said a major concern is that Ituri Province borders Uganda and South Sudan, raising the risk of Ebola crossing borders.

An emergency medical worker in Uttaradit province has died after an ambulance crashed while responding to an emergency call during heavy rain.

The accident occurred on 21 May involving an ambulance from Nam Pat Hospital in Uttaradit. Officials said the vehicle lost control and veered off the road due to slippery conditions while transporting staff to assist an emergency patient.

Nattanicha Bangchan, also known as "June", was critically injured while on duty inside the ambulance. Rescue workers and emergency personnel in Uttaradit rushed to assist and transferred her to Uttaradit Hospital, where she later died.

The Ministry of Public Health expressed condolences to her family in a statement posted on social media, describing her death as occurring while carrying out emergency medical duties.

Many Thai social media users also paid tribute to Nattanicha, praising her dedication and sacrifice while serving on duty until the final moments of her life.

Six female students at Municipal School 1 (Kabinburi Rasat Amrung) in Kabinburi District, Prachuap Khiri Khan were hospitalized on May 22 after suddenly falling ill during morning break around 12:30 p.m. The students, from grades 5 and 6, developed itchy rashes on their arms, with some experiencing chest tightness. School Principal Chawalit Srimapol stated they were immediately transported to Kabinburi Hospital for medical treatment. Doctors diagnosed the condition as heat rash caused by sudden weather changes following a storm, combined with exposure to flower pollen and environmental factors while students were in an open area. The school has clarified that reports circulating on social media claiming the students suffered from food poisoning or chemical exposure are false, and the medical diagnosis confirms environmental allergies as the cause.

Police have issued a summons for an 18-year-old suspect accused of impersonating a government official and defrauding a community organization of nearly 600,000 baht intended for home repairs for low-income families. The suspect allegedly embezzled funds from a housing program, stole from a community welfare savings fund, and conned an elderly woman out of additional money. On May 22, provincial social development officials visited affected families and pledged to expedite emergency home repairs for four households whose homes were left in dangerous disrepair.

On May 22, 2026, Piyanat Sengiemsak, the Buriram provincial governor, led a team to visit and provide support to four low-income families approved for home repairs under the Sufficient Housing Program administered by the Community Organization Development Institute. Eleven homes total were to be repaired in Charekmak subdistrict, Prakonchai district, Buriram province.

However, an 18-year-old named Jetrin, who fraudulently posed as a government official, infiltrated the project and swindled 375,000 baht from the subdistrict community organization. While only seven homes were actually built, he caused four remaining homes to go unrepaired. Additionally, he embezzled over 426,000 baht from the community welfare savings fund and defrauded an elderly woman of 7,400 baht, bringing his total fraud to nearly 600,000 baht.

Inspection of the four unrepaired homes revealed they were in dangerous, dilapidated condition. The residents include elderly and disabled persons. Provincial social development authorities have committed to accelerating emergency home repairs and recovering the embezzled funds.

When interviewed, Swee Seepara, 27, granddaughter of 77-year-old Pong Ulid Prakonchai, one of the four families still awaiting repairs, described their home as severely deteriorated with a leaking roof that causes water damage during rainy season, making sleep difficult. Though initially disappointed by news of the fraud, she was moved to tears when provincial officials visited and promised to proceed with urgent repairs.

According to Anusan Sriprom, investigation officer at Ban Bua Police Station, the case is divided into three parts: the community organization's fraud complaint regarding the misappropriated home repair funds (with project deadline June 30, 2026); the embezzlement of daily savings fund contributions (still awaiting documentation); and the elderly woman's case (summons already issued). If the suspect fails to respond to summons, an arrest warrant will be issued. Authorities are also gathering evidence to determine what additional charges may apply regarding his fraudulent impersonation of a government official.

The Insurance Commission warns that Middle East tensions threaten the global economy through energy price spikes and financial market instability, potentially affecting Thailand's insurance industry via slower revenue growth and increased claim costs from rising energy, materials, labor, and repair expenses. The Commission forecasts that total insurance premium growth will decelerate in 2026 due to economic slowdown, weakened purchasing power, and financial market volatility, though health insurance is expected to continue growing due to rising health awareness despite inflationary pressures on medical costs. Thai insurers maintain strong financial positions with life insurance companies and general insurers reporting Capital Adequacy Ratios of 442.4% and 367.2% respectively as of Q4 2024, well above the regulatory minimum of 140%, demonstrating resilience despite global economic headwinds that could impact asset valuations, claim payouts, and cash flow management in the coming period.