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Dr. Craig Spencer, associate professor of public health and emergency medicine at Brown University, speaks with PBS NewsHour via video call about the 2026 Bundibugyo Ebola strain outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Dr. Craig Spencer of Brown University — who survived Ebola during the 2014 outbreak — speaks with PBS NewsHour about the 2026 Bundibugyo strain outbreak. Spencer warned that the DRC does not have what it needs to respond, citing cuts to USAID and shortages of basic protective equipment, and called on the U.S. to fully engage its CDC and surge financial, logistical, and medical support. Photo: PBS NewsHour

Doctors Share Latest Concerns About Ebola Virus

May 20, 2026

Doctors Share Latest Concerns About Ebola Virus

A rare strain of Ebola — one with no approved vaccine or treatment — is spreading fast in central Africa, and an American has now contracted the disease. Here's what doctors are warning, and why global health cuts make this moment especially dangerous.

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PBS News Hour Classroom
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Health officials are racing to contain a rapidly expanding outbreak of Ebola in Africa. At least 116 suspected deaths and more than 300 other cases have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda. The CDC says an American medical missionary has contracted the disease. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Dr. Craig Spencer, who contracted Ebola during a 2014 outbreak.

View the transcript of the story.

NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?

Warm-Up Questions

  1. Where has Ebola virus begun to spread?
  2. Who is Dr. Craig Spencer, and what is his background?
  3. What concerns Dr. Spencer the most about the current spread of Ebola?
  4. How have federal officials in the United States responded to the outbreak?
  5. When was there previously a major outbreak of Ebola in the Congo, and what is different about the current outbreak than the previous outbreaks?

Essential Questions

  • What role do you think the United States should have in monitoring and preventing the spread of disease in other countries?
  • Why do you think controlling the Ebola virus is difficult for public officials to contain?
  • Media literacy: Why do you think the News Hour chose to focus on the spread of a disease on another continent?

What Students Can Do

Watch the following News Hour interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci from 2018, when doctors were racing to develop vaccines for the Ebola virus. Then as a class, discuss the following —

  • What most surprised you about this segment?
  • How do you think the challenges of public health have changed since the COVID-19 epidemic?
  • Compare Dr. Spencer's interview with Dr. Fauci's. What similarities do you see between the challenges they identify? What was different?

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Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.

PBS News Hour Classroom
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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