Ebola case confirmed in South Kivu, beyond outbreak zone

May 22, 2026

Summary

An Ebola case in South Kivu extended Congo's outbreak beyond Ituri as officials reported suspected deaths, cross-border cases, and strained response efforts.

Why this matters

The confirmed case in South Kivu showed the Ebola outbreak had spread beyond its initial area, raising pressure on health systems in eastern Congo and neighboring countries. The response is also being complicated by insecurity, mistrust of medical workers, and limited supplies.

A case of Ebola was confirmed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s South Kivu province, several hundred kilometers from the outbreak’s center in Ituri province, the rebel alliance that controls the area said Thursday.

The patient, a 28-year-old who died and was buried safely, was identified in a rural area near the provincial capital, Bukavu, according to the Alliance Fleuve Congo, which includes the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The alliance said the individual had traveled from Kisangani, but gave no details of recent movements.

The case suggested the outbreak had spread beyond Ituri, where experts believe the virus circulated undetected for about two months before it was identified last week. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s health ministry said Thursday the outbreak had caused 160 suspected deaths among 670 suspected cases, with 61 confirmed.

South Kivu health spokesperson Claude Bahizire told Reuters earlier Thursday that two suspected cases had been detected in the province, including the fatal case. He said the second patient was in isolation awaiting test results.

An Ebola case was also confirmed last week in Goma, capital of neighboring North Kivu province, which is under M23 control. Two cases have also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda, which said Thursday it would suspend flights to Congo within 48 hours as a precaution.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no vaccine, a public health emergency of international concern over the weekend.

In Rwampara, one of the outbreak’s hotspots in Ituri, clashes broke out Thursday after relatives of a suspected Ebola victim disputed the cause of death and demanded the body, Reuters witnesses said. Protesters gathered outside a hospital and set fire to tents run by the medical charity ALIMA, prompting police to fire warning shots and tear gas, the witnesses said.

Aid workers have said the response lacked basic supplies, which some attributed to cuts by major foreign donors that weakened local health services and disease surveillance. Britain said Thursday it would allocate up to 20 million pounds ($27 million) to the response. The United States, which gave about $600 million to the 2018-2020 response, has so far committed $23 million and said Tuesday it would help open up to 50 clinics in Congo and Uganda.

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