Ebola outbreak spreads to sixth province in Congo

Published 14 Aug, 2026 03:44pm 1 min read
Passengers who disembarked from a boat intercepted by health authorities wait to be tested following the death of a passenger suspected of having Ebola, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. -- Reuters
Passengers who disembarked from a boat intercepted by health authorities wait to be tested following the death of a passenger suspected of having Ebola, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. -- Reuters

The Ebola outbreak in ​Democratic Republic of Congo has ‌spread to a sixth province, Bas-Uele, located in the northeast of the country, ​the communications ministry said on ​Friday, officially confirming a case discovered earlier.

Health authorities ⁠have identified a person who ​has died from Ebola in the ​provincial capital, Buta, an official from the National Institute for Biomedical Research told Reuters on ​Thursday.

Bas-Uele wasn’t previously affected by ​the virus. The new case raised fears that ‌people ⁠who have been in contact with the patient may have also been infected.

Delayed detection, conflict and strained ​health services ​have ⁠helped the virus spread more rapidly than in previous ​outbreaks.

The latest report, published on ​the ⁠ministry’s X account, said that the number of confirmed Ebola cases ⁠in ​Congo has increased to ​4,665, including 2,184 deaths.

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