No cases of Ebola have been detected among passengers on a river boat that was placed in quarantine near Kinshasa, health authorities have said. The confirmation announced on Saturday eased concerns that the rare Bundibugyo virus might spread to the Congolese capital. The National Institute of Biomedical Research, which is responsible for testing, said that all suspected cases tested negative for Bundibugyo. WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus called for an urgent strengthening of the response, warning of the accelerating spread of the virus. On May 17, 2026, WHO officially declared the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus strain a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).