Ebola virus behind massive outbreak in DRC could be mutating, officials say, P3

shidonnaravenc
2 hours ago
2 min read

Global health correspondent

August 6, 2026

Source: The Guardian

Photo / Image Source: Unsplash,

Ebola is a viral haemorrhagic fever that can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, organ damage and internal bleeding. The outbreak is centred on the conflict-affected mining province of Ituri, but has spread to Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo. There were 20 cases recorded in neighbouring Uganda before it brought its outbreak under control.

Dr Wessam Mankoula, acting head of emergency preparedness and response at Africa CDC, said response teams planned a shift “from contact tracing to active case search”, which would mean community health workers “moving from door to door” asking households if they had anyone sick with Ebola symptoms.

He added: “I think the time for incremental action is over and we’re starting now the phase for scaling up.”

Kaseya promised a “village-centered response” that would involve communities, more use of digital tools and greater action in the camps for people who have been internally displaced by conflict in affected provinces.

Officials also said they planned to begin using antiviral remdesivir on a compassionate use basis to treat patients. They will also start testing whether Ervebo, a vaccine licensed for use against a different strain of Ebola, should be offered in the affected province, after receiving data suggesting that Bundibugyo caused less serious disease and “zero death” among people who had received that jab.

“Seeing the expansion of this outbreak, only the public health measure will not be enough to quickly control or stop this outbreak,” said Dr Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC director of research, clinical trials and innovation.

DRC authorities said they were investigating a suspected Ebola death on a boat heading to the capital, Kinshasa, from the north-east of the country, and that the other passengers on board would be quarantined and tested.

Unicef warned that essential healthcare was being disrupted by the outbreak as fear of infection and service disruptions kept families away from clinics. In the outbreak’s centre, the mining town of Mongbwalu, the proportion of children receiving their first measles dose has fallen 69%.