Supporting Preparedness with Ebola Disease Resources

On May 17, 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

About Ebola Disease
Ebola disease is a serious illness caused by a group of viruses known as orthoebolaviruses and is spread through close contact with the bodily fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola disease or who has died from it, such as blood, vomit or stool. An infected person cannot spread the infection before symptoms begin. Infection can also occur through contact with infected animals.

Symptoms may begin suddenly and can include fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, headache and sore throat. As the illness worsens, symptoms may also include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, rash, and problems with kidney and liver function. In some cases, severe bleeding can occur.

The risk to people in Ontario remains low.

PHO Supports Ontario’s Preparedness and Response
Since the outbreak began, we have been supporting our Ontario public health and health system partners by sharing a broad range new and updated resources, intended to support health care providers and public health units with clinical risk assessment, infection prevention and control (IPAC), surveillance, and testing to ensure health care providers and public health units have access to timely, evidence-informed guidance and tools.

PHO also provides specialized laboratory testing in collaboration with the National Microbiology Laboratory and have developed tools to support early identification and evidence-based decision-making. Testing for orthoebolaviruses and other viruses that cause viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHF) is only considered for individuals who have compatible symptoms and a relevant travel history or possible exposure. In assessing a patient with a potential VHF like Ebola disease, clinicians are recommended to use PHO’s VHF Clinical Risk Assessment Tool. If after assessment, a VHF is suspected clinicians are required to notify the Ministry of Health who will review the comprehensive risk assessment and support decision‑making regarding testing.

To further support knowledge sharing across Ontario’s health system, we recently hosted a PHO Rounds session that provided an overview of VHF clinical risk assessment, IPAC considerations, laboratory testing and key PHO resources available to support Ebola disease preparedness and response in Ontario.

All Ebola disease resources are available on our dedicated VHF webpage, which will continue to be updated as more resources become available. Please check back often.