Ebola alarm prompts regional health mobilisation

Health authorities have moved to contain a new Ebola virus disease outbreak in Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, triggering an urgent regional coordination meeting with Uganda, South Sudan and international response partners as concern grows over cross-border transmission.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the outbreak on Friday after investigations identified 246 suspected cases and 65 suspected deaths. Most infections have been reported in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, while suspected cases have also appeared in Bunia, the provincial capital and a key transit point in eastern DRC.

Laboratory testing has confirmed Ebola virus in 13 of 20 analysed samples. Early findings suggest the pathogen may not be the Zaire strain, the form most commonly associated with major outbreaks in the country. Full genomic sequencing is under way, with the result expected to shape vaccine and treatment decisions, surveillance priorities and risk communication in affected communities.

The planned regional meeting is expected to focus on immediate response priorities, cross-border surveillance, laboratory capacity, infection prevention and control, safe and dignified burials, public communication and resource mobilisation. Health officials are seeking to prevent the outbreak from spreading through mining routes, trading corridors and population movements linking Ituri with neighbouring countries.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said the movement of people across the region required rapid coordination between DRC, Uganda and South Sudan. The agency has indicated that the outbreak is being treated as a regional health security risk rather than a localised emergency because of Ituri’s geography, mobility patterns and fragile security environment.

Ituri has long been one of the most complex provinces for outbreak response. Armed group activity, displacement, poor road access and stretched health infrastructure have complicated humanitarian operations. Mining settlements around Mongwalu bring together mobile workers, traders and transport networks, increasing the difficulty of contact tracing and timely isolation of suspected cases.

The possibility of a non-Zaire strain has added urgency to the response. The Ervebo vaccine, used in earlier DRC outbreaks, is licensed against the Zaire ebolavirus. Other vaccine and therapeutic options may need to be assessed if sequencing confirms a different species of the virus. Health teams are also expected to strengthen case management, collect samples from suspected infections and expand community-based surveillance.

DRC has recorded repeated Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified near the Ebola River in 1976. The 2018-2020 outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri became the country’s deadliest, with more than 3,400 cases and over 2,200 deaths, and was complicated by insecurity, community distrust and attacks on treatment centres. That experience led to the creation of stronger field teams, laboratory networks and vaccination strategies, but the operating environment remains difficult.

The latest outbreak follows another Ebola emergency in Kasaï in 2025, which was declared over after a response involving vaccination, community engagement and case management. The recurrence of outbreaks in different provinces underscores the persistence of animal reservoirs, human exposure risks and the challenge of detecting spillover events before wider transmission begins.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected people, contaminated materials, or bodies during unsafe burial practices. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, internal or external bleeding. Rapid isolation, protective equipment for health workers and safe burial procedures are central to reducing transmission.

Uganda and South Sudan are expected to increase border screening and alert health facilities in districts connected to Ituri through trade and migration routes. Previous Ebola outbreaks in the Great Lakes region have shown that early coordination can sharply reduce the risk of exportation, but porous borders and informal crossings remain persistent vulnerabilities.