Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the urgent need for international cooperation to address global health threats, citing outbreaks of hantavirus, Ebola, and Marburg as instances where no country can respond alone. He referenced ongoing negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement to facilitate collective action.
The hantavirus outbreak, which caused 13 cases and three deaths, has officially ended after the last exposed individual on the cruise ship MV Hondius completed quarantine. No further cases have been reported since 25 May. Over 650 contacts were monitored across 33 countries and territories.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Ebola outbreak continues to grow, with 1,406 confirmed cases and 438 deaths. There have been an average of 38 new confirmed cases per day in the past two weeks. Uganda has reported no new Ebola cases since 21 June. Response efforts under DRC Government leadership include expanded diagnostic labs and improved contact tracing and treatment. A clinical trial of two therapeutics began with the first patient enrolled, and WHO issued an emergency use listing for a molecular diagnostic test for Bundibugyo virus.
However, significant challenges persist, including mistrust and violence. An attack on an Ebola treatment center in Ituri province resulted in two deaths and patients fleeing the facility.
In Venezuela, the aftermath of recent earthquakes has left more than 2,300 people dead and nearly 16,000 homeless. Search and rescue efforts are shifting to recovery, and casualties may rise. This situation further compounds the ongoing humanitarian emergency.