A recent outbreak of Ebola disease is spreading in the remote areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak in the DRC has spread much faster than previous outbreaks. It’s now the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record, with more than 1,000 confirmed cases within 40 days of response activation and more than 600 fatalities reported overall.
While the risk to Americans remains very low, nonessential travel to the affected areas is not recommended, as the disease continues to spread throughout Central Africa. To discuss the Ebola crisis, pathobiological sciences professor at the UW Peter Halfmann ’00, PhD’08 will join the UW Now Live on July 14, 2026.
Halfmann works in the Influenza Research Institute within the UW’s School of Veterinary Medicine. He earned degrees in bacteriology and molecular virology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In addition to his work the UW, Halfmann is a visiting scientist at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Montana, and he aided the response to the West Africa Ebola outbreak, which was the largest Ebola outbreak in history. Halfmann has firsthand experience conducting research and supporting response efforts in the field, and he developed a novel vaccine platform for the Ebola virus that advanced to a phase 1 clinical trial.
By combining fundamental virology with translational research, Halfmann’s team addresses pressing public health challenges. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the lab researched and evaluated newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants for resistance to vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and antiviral therapeutics — leading to a better understanding of how viral evolution could impact available countermeasures.
With a quickly evolving Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, and continued struggle in the Middle East, a few key hot spots are shaping the news. To unpack what’s happening beyond the headlines, why it matters, and what could come next, Peter Halfmann will join the UW Now Live, along with professors of political science Mark Copelovitch and Jon Pevehouse.
My Chief Area of Expertise Is:
My research focuses on emerging and high-consequence RNA viruses, particularly influenza viruses, filoviruses such as Ebola virus, and coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. My laboratory studies how these viruses cause disease, interact with their hosts, and evolve. Our goal is to translate those discoveries into improved vaccines, antiviral therapeutics, and strategies to prevent future outbreaks.
On the UW Now Live, I’ll Talk About:
With the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I hope to provide some context to better understand what is happening and why outbreaks can be so challenging to control. I’ll discuss how outbreaks start and spread and why some outbreaks are contained relatively quickly while others persist. I’ll do this by highlighting key factors such as health care infrastructure, community engagement, surveillance, and access to diagnostics and medical countermeasures.
If There’s One Thing Viewers Will Take Away, It’s:
The main point I hope viewers take away is that infectious diseases do not respect borders. We live in a highly connected world, and an outbreak anywhere has the potential to affect communities far beyond where it begins. That means outbreak response is not just a local issue — it is a shared global responsibility. Helping countries detect, respond to, and control infectious disease outbreaks early is one of the most effective ways to prevent future epidemics and pandemics. Investing in public health, surveillance, vaccines, therapeutics, and trusted community partnerships protects not only the affected region, but all of us.
To Get Smart Fast, See:
For accurate and current information, I always recommend the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. They provide evidence-based updates on outbreaks, prevention, and public health guidance, and they’re among the most trusted sources for infectious disease information.
