Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) 
Alabama Emergency Response Technology (ALERT)
Health Alert Network (HAN)
Outbreak of Ebola Disease in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda - Be Prepared to Identify, Isolate, and Inform 
June 4, 2026

In early May, a hospital in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) identified a cluster of severe illnesses affecting healthcare workers. The illnesses were identified as Bundibugyo virus, one of the four types of Ebola viruses that cause Ebola disease in people. At this time, no cases of Ebola disease have been confirmed in the United States because of this outbreak. The overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low.

As situations can change, the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) reminds all healthcare professionals to contribute to our state's response by being ready to detect a potentially infected patient; protect yourself, your colleagues, and other patients from exposure; and have a plan to respond with appropriate patient care. 
Hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers should coordinate with ADPH in the event that there is a concern about a patient suspected of having Ebola, in order to assess the risk of Ebola disease based on the clinical presentation and epidemiologic risk factors. This coordination will help determine whether Ebola testing is needed and which other causes of illness should be considered (e.g., malaria). This coordination can ensure proper patient care and appropriate precautions to prevent the potential spread of this and other infectious diseases within the healthcare setting.

In a patient for whom a diagnosis of Ebola disease is considered, the healthcare worker should immediately isolate the patient in a single room (with a private bathroom, if available) and initiate standard infection control practices during evaluation and risk assessment. The healthcare worker should inform ADPH of any suspected Ebola disease case(s) as soon as possible, and certainly within 4 hours of the suspected diagnosis. To request consultation and to open an investigation of a suspected case of Ebola, call the ADPH Infectious Diseases & Outbreaks Division at 1-800-338-8374 and complete the online High-Consequence Infectious Disease Consultation Form. Further guidance and possible arrangements for Ebola testing will be provided, expediently, after an ADPH Medical Officer (board-certified physician) reviews the form.

For more information about Ebola disease and the current outbreak, please go to: 
https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/situation-summary/index.html 
https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/site.html#hcp 
https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/hcp/clinical-signs/index.html 
https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/hcp/clinical-guidance/index.html 
https://www.cdc.gov/coca/hcp/trainings/what-clinicians-should-know-about-ebola-bundibugyo-virus.html