Terms like outbreak, epidemic, pandemic and public health emergency each describe a different level of spread,  and they help determine how fast and how far the response goes.

A fast‑moving Ebola outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain has killed more than 80 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and reached the major city of Goma, prompting the World Health Organization to declare an international health emergency.

Ugandan officials confirm that a Congolese man who died at the health facility had tested positive for the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever.

A South African police captain is being praised for “extraordinary bravery” after he was lowered into a crocodile‑infested river to help recover human remains during a high‑risk operation on Sunday.

Zambia's government has said that talks on a US health funding deal stalled due to contentious terms linked to proposed critical minerals deals and data sharing concerns.

Passengers have been isolating in their cabins as health officials coordinate next steps. Emergency evacuations are being arranged for critically ill individuals, while the ship is expected to sail to Spain’s Canary Islands once conditions allow.

Cape Verde says it's getting ready to offer further medical assistance to the Dutch cruise ship moored off its coast as it battles a suspected outbreak of hantavirus. The Canary Islands on Wednesday rejected a Spanish proposal to allow the boat to dock there, citing public health concerns.

Three patients were evacuated from a cruise ship off Cape Verde on Wednesday amid a hantavirus outbreak, as a new case was confirmed in Switzerland.

Health officials said the outbreak was far less contagious than Covid-19, and experts echoed that assessment, saying the chances of wider spread remain low.

A cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak departed Praia, Cape Verde, on Wednesday with nearly 150 passengers and crew on board, continuing its journey toward Spain’s Canary Islands as health authorities raced to contain the spread of the disease.