Pandemic & Infectious Disease — 2026-09-28
The DRC's record Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak remains the dominant global health emergency, with a new oral antiviral trial just beginning patient enrollment. NanoViricides announced its Phase II trial of the oral drug NV-387 started enrolling and dosing patients on or about September 23. Separately, WHO notes world leaders renewed their pandemic preparedness commitments at the UN General Assembly, while U.S. respiratory illness activity remains very low ahead of the flu season.
Pandemic & Infectious Disease — 2026-09-28
Active Outbreak Tracker
Ebola (Bundibugyo virus) — DRC and Uganda
- Status: Ongoing outbreak; CDC continues to track the current outbreak affecting DRC and Uganda
- Key Development: A Substack analysis published within the past day examines how a rare Ebola virus turned into "the largest outbreak ever reported in the DRC" and a prolonged international public health emergency. CDC's situation summary page was updated within the past several days
- Response: CDC maintains an active situation summary, and a Phase II trial of the oral antiviral NV-387 began enrollment and dosing of patients in the current Bundibugyo outbreak on or about September 23
COVID-19 / Respiratory Viruses — United States
- Status: Very low activity
- Key Development: As of September 25, 2026, the amount of acute respiratory illness causing people to seek health care in the U.S. is very low. CDC's CFA Rt estimates page continues to track COVID-19 epidemic trends at national, state, and Healthcare Service Area levels
- Response: CDC continues weekly publication of respiratory illness data channels, Rt estimates, and influenza surveillance reports
Monkeypox (clade I and clade II) — Global
- Status: Multiple ongoing outbreaks worldwide
- Key Development: CDC's situation summary, refreshed within the past several days, notes there are ongoing outbreaks of both clade I and clade II monkeypox around the world
- Response: CDC maintains a global situation summary page for the multi-clade mpox outbreaks
Vaccine & Treatment Pipeline
- NV-387 (NanoViricides): Phase II clinical trial of the oral drug, formulated as gummies, to treat the current Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak started enrollment and dosing of patients on or about September 23, per a September 28 announcement
- mFLUSIVA (Moderna): The mRNA-based influenza vaccine received FDA approval — full approval for adults aged 50–64 and accelerated approval for adults ≥65 following unanimous VRBPAC backing
- MRPJV/Ebola oral antiviral context: With no further detail available beyond the NV-387 press release, no additional recent vaccine pipeline data within the past 24 hours was verifiable from these results
Expert Analysis
A new Nature paper argues that "human-driven ecosystem changes and human–wildlife–livestock contact can drive the emergence of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases," and examines how much these processes shape the landscape of outbreak risk — though the authors note this remains "poorly understood". NPR's coverage of the same research theme reports that infectious disease outbreaks are on the rise worldwide and that a new analysis finds human actions, from deforestation to climate change, are partly responsible. Together, this body of work frames the Anthropocene itself as a driver of outbreak frequency — a lens that applies directly to outbreaks like the record DRC Monkeypox and Ebola events.
Policy commentary is similarly blunt about implementation gaps. A Lancet Regional Health – Europe commentary titled "Preparing for the next pandemic requires more than commitments" notes that in May 2026 the World Health Assembly postponed adoption of the Pandemic Agreement, "a legally binding treaty intended to strengthen the prevention, detection, and response to future health emergencies," and that preparedness efforts have been "substantially disrupted in the past 18 months since the USA withdrew from WHO". Against that backdrop, WHO reported that political leaders meeting at the UN General Assembly "renewed their commitment to making the world safer from future pandemics, stressing the need for sustained and more equitable investment and action on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response".
Global Health Security
- UN High-level Meeting on PPPR: Political leaders at UNGA renewed commitments to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, stressing sustained and more equitable investment
- Pandemic Agreement limbo: The World Health Assembly in May 2026 postponed adoption of the Pandemic Agreement, and a recent commentary argues that preparedness "requires more than commitments" given funding and institutional disruption since the U.S. withdrawal from WHO
What to Watch Next
- NV-387 Ebola trial progress: Early safety and efficacy readouts from the first oral Ebola therapy trial in the Bundibugyo outbreak could reshape treatment options if results hold
- Respiratory season ramp-up: With acute respiratory illness currently very low as of September 25, the coming weeks will show whether COVID-19, flu, and RSV curve upward heading into fall
- Pandemic Agreement follow-through: Whether renewed UNGA commitments translate into rescheduled adoption of the stalled Pandemic Agreement and concrete funding will be the key test of this week's rhetoric
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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