High consequence infectious disease: country specific risk

Listing of countries with a known occurrence of high consequence infectious disease (HCID).

On 17 May 2026, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern for an outbreak of Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. Resources and information about Ebola disease can be accessed at Ebola: overview, history, origins and transmission.

The information presented below is provided for health professionals wishing to determine if there is a known high consequence infectious disease (HCID) risk in any particular country. It will be updated as new information arises. Data prior to 1970 is not included.

The information is intended as a guide only. For any HCID, the risk will be greatest in countries that have reported laboratory-confirmed, locally acquired human cases, particularly recent cases. For countries where the only supporting evidence of an HCID is human serology data (which is often generated by studies of asymptomatic populations), the true risk may be lower and the data should be interpreted with caution.

HCID risk assessments should also consider other factors, including exposure histories, activities undertaken whilst travelling, and the areas visited within a country.

For any particular country, the absence of previously reported HCID cases does not mean that locally acquired HCIDs cannot occur in that country in the future if the necessary transmission factors are present (for example, known vectors or potential reservoirs).

Healthcare professionals wishing to discuss a possible HCID case should contact a local infection specialist (such as a consultant in infectious diseases, microbiology or virology) in the first instance.

Infection specialists should contact the Imported Fever Service about suspected HCID cases, as appropriate, and refer to the relevant UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance (for which links are provided in the tables below).