With 65 deaths reported so far, an Ebola outbreak has been confirmed in Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday.
According to preliminary results from the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa, 13 out of 20 tested samples came back positive for Ebola.
“About 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths have been reported, mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones,” the authorities said, adding that four of the fatalities were among laboratory-confirmed patients.
Health officials are also investigating suspected infections in the city of Bunia, although those cases have not yet been confirmed.
The Africa CDC said it was coordinating with the governments of the DR Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, as well as international health partners, to strengthen surveillance, preparedness and emergency response measures along border areas.
“Given the high population movement between affected areas and neighbouring countries, rapid regional coordination is essential,” Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, stated.
Ebola, a highly contagious hemorrhagic fever, is spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or tissue. The fatality rate for this disease can reach 90%. Symptoms often include high fever, fatigue, headaches, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, skin rash, and internal or external bleeding.
The outbreak comes just months after the DR Congo declared an end to its previous Ebola flare-up in Kasai Province. According to WHO figures, it resulted in 64 cases – 53 confirmed and 11 deemed probable – and 45 deaths. The outbreak officially declared over in December 2025 in the country, marked the country’s 16th recorded Ebola epidemic since the virus was first identified there in 1976. Kasai had previously experienced outbreaks in 2007 and 2008.
Last year, Uganda also declared a new Ebola outbreak after a 32-year-old nurse died of multiple organ failure. The WHO reported 14 cases with four deaths.