In May 2022, a claim circulated online that a former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Ebola could become a "very significant pandemic."
One X post (archived) that shared the alleged quote had 3.4 million views at the time of this writing.
BREAKING: Former CDC director says Ebola outbreak is suspected 'to become a very significant pandemic' — The Hill
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) May 21, 2026
The purported quote also spread on Facebook (archived), Threads (archived) and Bluesky (archived). Snopes readers searched our site to learn more about the claim.
The World Health Organization declared an outbreak of Ebola in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on May 16, 2026. The organization reported that the outbreak started in Congo in early May 2026 and had since spread to Uganda. By May 21, the health ministries in Congo and Uganda had reported 575 suspected cases, 51 confirmed cases and 148 suspected deaths, according to the CDC.
Also on May 21 Dr. Robert Redfield, a former CDC director, told NewsNation, referring to the Ebola outbreak (at 6:08, archived), "I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic, probably leak into Tanzania, leaking into Southern Sudan, maybe leak into Rwanda. So, it's going to be very disruptive."
The WHO defines a pandemic as a "worldwide spread of a new disease." By that definition, Ebola would not technically be a "pandemic" even if it spread to the countries Redfield named. It was unclear whether Redfield meant to say Ebola would spread across the world or whether he used the word "pandemic" in place of "outbreak" to describe the potential spread of the Ebola virus to Congo's neighboring countries.
Regardless, we found online posts correctly attributed the statement, "I suspect this is going to become a very significant pandemic," in regard to the Ebola outbreak to Redfield.
We contacted Redfield through The Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank where he was a visiting fellow at the time of this writing, to ask for clarification on his remarks to NewsNation and await a reply.
The WHO identified the specific species of Ebola virus that caused the outbreak in Congo as Bundibugyo virus. The organization reported that there was no licensed vaccine for this strain of Ebola. The two previous outbreaks of Bundibugyo disease caused by the virus had fatality rates that ranged from 30% to 50%, according to the WHO.
The virus can spread from animals to humans and from person to person. It spreads through contact with infected "blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids" or contaminated surfaces, the WHO said. The virus is not airborne, according to the CDC.
Surveillance and treatment of Ebola cases in Congo, specifically the Ituri province where the outbreak started, was difficult, according to the WHO, due to an ongoing conflict between ethnic groups over access to land, valuable minerals such as gold and political power.
At the time of this writing, the WHO did not advise countries that did not share a land border with known outbreak locations to close their borders or place restrictions on travel or trade.
It advised countries with known Bundibugyo disease outbreaks to screen travelers at internal borders and before they left the country and stop people with suspected infections from traveling to minimize the spread of disease. Countries that shared land borders with countries that had known outbreaks should "urgently enhance their preparedness and readiness capacity."
By May 21, 2026, the CDC had not recorded any suspected cases of Ebola disease in the U.S. caused by the outbreak in Congo and Uganda. The CDC and Department of Homeland Security had placed entry restrictions on non-U.S. passport holders who had been in Uganda, Congo or South Sudan for 21 days before May 18, 2026. The agencies also had increased screening for other travelers who had been in the affected regions.
The CDC advised anyone who had traveled to a known Ebola outbreak location and developed symptoms such as fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea or unexplained bleeding to seek medical attention immediately.
The agencies assessed the risk to the U.S. public as low.
According to the WHO, the May 2026 outbreak of Ebola disease in Congo was the 17th since 1976.