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New Ebola Outbreak Confirmed in Congo’s Ituri Province 65 Deaths Reported

May 16, 2026

OVERVIEW

On 15 May 2026, health officials confirmed a new Ebola outbreak in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced the outbreak. Laboratory tests found the Ebola virus in 13 out of 20 samples. As of 15 May, there were 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths. The outbreak is in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones. The virus strain is non-Zaire ebolavirus, and further testing is ongoing. An emergency meeting was held with health authorities from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan.

EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE

Ebola virus disease is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever. It is caused by viruses in the genus  Ebolavirus . The disease was first identified in  1976  in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire) and Sudan. Since then, it has caused repeated outbreaks in Central and West Africa. The virus spreads through direct contact with blood, body fluids, or contaminated materials.

OUTBREAK DETAILS IN ITURI PROVINCE

The new outbreak was confirmed on  15 May 2026  in  Ituri province , located in the north-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Here are the key numbers as of 15 May:

  • Suspected cases:  246

  • Deaths:  65

The  Mongwalu  and  Rwampara  health zones recorded most of the suspected cases and deaths. Additional suspected cases were reported in  Bunia , but they are still waiting for confirmation.

LABORATORY FINDINGS AND RESPONSE MECHANISM

Preliminary results from the  Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale  (National Institute of Biomedical Research) showed that the virus is a  non-Zaire ebolavirus strain . This is different from the Zaire strain that caused many past outbreaks. Further genetic sequencing was underway on 15 May to learn more about the virus.

The  Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)  acted quickly. It convened an  urgent high-level coordination meeting  on the same day. Health authorities from three countries attended:

  • Democratic Republic of Congo

  • Uganda

  • South Sudan

This is important because the outbreak is near the borders of Uganda and South Sudan. The meeting aimed to stop the virus from spreading across borders.

LABORATORY CONFIRMATION OF EBOLA

Ebola is confirmed using special tests. These include:

  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)  – detects the virus’s genetic material

  • Antigen detection  – finds viral proteins

  • Virus isolation  – growing the virus in a lab (only done in very secure facilities)

The Ebola virus belongs to the family  Filoviridae . The genus  Ebolavirus  has several species, including Zaire, Sudan, Bundibugyo, and others. The current outbreak is a non-Zaire

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