There's A New Ebola Outbreak In Africa.
- 16.05.2026, 13:25
In the Congo, 80 people died.
Eighty people have died in an Ebola outbreak in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This was reported by the DRC Ministry of Health on Friday, May 15. The disease is spreading amid a dire humanitarian situation and violence in Ituri, Demeutsche Welle reported.
Results of samples analyzed on May 14 confirmed eight cases of infection with the virus strain in Rwampara, Mongwalu and Bunia districts, DRC Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said.
The agency said 246 cases involving suspected infection with the virus have been reported. For instance, the first was reported at the Evangelical Medical Center in Bunia, where a nurse died with symptoms including fever, bleeding, vomiting and severe weakness, Reuters recalled.
Authorities deploy response teams
The DRC government said it has activated a public health emergency operations center, strengthened epidemiological and laboratory surveillance, and ordered the urgent deployment of response teams.
Africa's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said it was convening an emergency meeting with DRC, Uganda, South Sudan and global partners to strengthen cross-border surveillance and response.
The genome of the strain is being sequenced
Preliminary results indicate the presence of a strain of the virus different from the previously recorded Zaire virus. The genome is currently being sequenced for further identification.
The Congolese microbiologist who was one of the first to discover the Ebola virus, Jean-Jacques Muembe-Tamfum clarified that of the 16 previous outbreaks in the DRC, all but one were caused by the "Zaire" strain. Existing treatments and vaccines have been developed mainly against the latter.
Difficult humanitarian situation
The Africa CDC recalled that the areas where the current outbreak was recorded are located near Uganda and South Sudan. "Given the intense migration of populations between the affected areas and neighboring countries, rapid coordination at the regional level is essential," Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya stressed.
The current outbreak is the 17th in the DRC since the Ebola virus was discovered in 1976. Kasai province was affected before that, but the situation there was declared normalized on December 1, 2025. At that time, of the 64 people who became ill, 45 died and 19 recovered.
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