WHO publishes updated guidance on surveillance, case investigation and contact tracing in filovirus disease outbreaks

9 October 2026

On 9 October 2026 the World Health Organization published 'Surveillance, case investigation and contact tracing in filovirus disease outbreaks', a 51-page normative guidance. It covers Ebola disease, caused by four viruses (Ebola, Sudan, Bundibugyo and Taï Forest), and Marburg virus disease. It updates WHO's 2015 guideline on contact tracing for Ebola virus disease and revises the case definitions using recent outbreak evidence. It describes five functions across the surveillance cycle, from routine surveillance and early warning to outbreak investigation and contact tracing, epidemiological analysis and community engagement. The guidance states that it does not replace national protocols.