NHS warns staff to ‘prepare for Ebola outbreak in the UK’ as eye-bleeding disease kills hundreds in Africa: ‘Stock up on PPE and isolate patients ASAP’

Amid a rapidly growing outbreak of the deadly virus in Africa, NHS staff have been told to be prepared for potential Ebola cases reaching the UK.

In the updated guide, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that imported cases are possible, although the risk to England remains low, ensuring hospitals, GPs and frontline services are ready to quickly identify and isolate suspected patients.

Healthcare providers have been instructed to check that they have an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as clear protocols for the management of suspected cases, and ensure staff are trained in the use of this equipment.

Clinicians are reminded to consider Ebola in any patient who has a fever and has traveled from affected areas in the past 21 days, reflecting the incubation period of the virus.

According to the guideline, suspected cases should be treated urgently, patients should be immediately isolated in a single room and evaluated by staff using appropriate protective measures.

As Ebola is a notifiable disease in the UK, strict infection control procedures are required and cases must be quickly escalated to specialist public health teams.

The warning comes as the rare strain of Ebola Bundibugyo continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring Uganda after it was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization in May.

Latest figures show hundreds of suspected cases and dozens of confirmed deathsNumbers continue to rise as testing and surveillance improves.

Red Cross workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) carry a coffin containing the body of an Ebola victim in Mongbwalu, Djugu District, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 24, 2026

Health officials say the true extent of the outbreak may be higher and more suspected cases are still being investigated.

Ebola is a severe viral hemorrhagic fever that can cause organ failure and internal bleeding, and in advanced stages, patients may bleed from their eyes, nose, and other parts of the body.

Symptoms may begin suddenly between two and 21 days after infection; It initially resembles the flu with fever, fatigue, muscle pain and headache, then progresses to vomiting, diarrhea and, in severe cases, bleeding.

The virus spreads through direct contact with infected body fluids, including blood, vomit, and saliva, and is not airborne, meaning transmission requires close physical contact.

Only people who are already symptomatic can transmit the infection.

Mortality rates vary between outbreaks but can be around 30 to 50 percent for the Bundibugyo strain, making it one of the most dangerous infectious diseases in the world.

The current outbreak causes particular concern because there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain and control efforts rely on early detection, isolation, contact tracing and strict hygiene measures.

Despite a stern warning to NHS staff, officials insist the risk to the UK public is very low.

The UKHSA says Ebola is rare in travellers, and the NHS has specialist high containment units and established procedures to manage imported cases safely.

But health authorities say caution is needed in an increasingly interconnected world, especially as international travel increases the likelihood of infections crossing borders.

Doctors are also reminded that Ebola should be considered in at-risk patients, but more common diseases such as malaria must be urgently ruled out.

The guidance highlights that preparedness, speed and strict infection control will be critical if any cases arrive in the UK; Staff were told to act quickly, isolate early and protect themselves to prevent any potential spread.

Infectious diseases specialist at the University of St Andrews and spokesperson for UK-Med and Healthy World, Secure Britain, Dr. Derek Sloan said: ‘This outbreak, along with the recent cases of Hantavirus on a cruise ship and meningococcal meningitis infections in the UK, shows how important it is that we remain vigilant and use effective public health tools to protect our society.

These posters are hung in major transportation hubs

‘In our interconnected world, infectious disease outbreaks like this cannot be dismissed as someone else’s problem. In an unpredictable world where infectious disease outbreaks are increasing in frequency, incredible institutions across Britain are acting as our first line of defence.

‘Working with others around the world is the best way for countries like the UK to fulfill our responsibilities as global citizens, while also protecting ourselves and the world from future threats to global health security.’

Posters have been put up at major airports and train stations in the UK with messages about Ebola symptoms and what to do if you get sick.

Posters produced by the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) are on site at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports, as well as St Pancras and Birmingham railway stations.

They are targeting people returning from Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are weekly direct flights to the UK from Uganda landing at Gatwick, but passengers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo arrive on connecting flights from France and Belgium.