Ebola Outbreak Kills 80 in Eastern Congo

An Ebola outbreak has been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo's eastern Ituri province, with at least 80 deaths and 246 suspected cases reported across the mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara as well as the provincial capital Bunia. Laboratory tests at the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa have confirmed the Bundibugyo strain of the virus in 8 of 13 analyzed samples, making this the country's 17th Ebola outbreak since the disease was first identified in 1976. Uganda has also reported an imported case, with a 59-year-old Congolese man dying Thursday at a hospital in Kampala after testing positive for Ebola, though authorities have not detected any local transmission in Uganda. The suspected index case dates back approximately three weeks to April 24, when a nurse died at a hospital in Bunia presenting symptoms consistent with Ebola. Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba confirmed eight laboratory-confirmed cases with four deaths among them. Africa CDC director general Dr. Jean Kaseya has emphasized that significant population movement between affected areas and neighboring countries makes regional coordination essential, with the agency coordinating with Uganda and South Sudan to strengthen surveillance and emergency response measures. The outbreak is concentrated in conflict-affected Ituri province, which lies approximately 1,000 kilometers from Kinshasa and has been under military rule since 2021 amid activity by Islamic State-linked armed groups. Residents in Bunia have described grim conditions, with daily burials of two to three or more people occurring for about a week, though business and public activities in the capital appeared normal on Friday. The Bundibugyo strain, while less prominent in Congo's previous outbreaks, remains highly contagious and can be contracted through contact with infected bodily fluids. The Democratic Republic of Congo has extensive experience managing Ebola outbreaks, including its deadliest between 2018 and 2020 that killed nearly 2,300 people, though the country often faces logistical challenges in reaching remote provinces. The current outbreak follows a previous one in Kasai Province that was declared over in December 2025, resulting in 64 cases and 45 deaths.