DRC President Félix Tshisekedi warned that "epidemics do not recognise borders," as health officials work to contain the outbreak.
A health worker takes the temperature of a woman, in the northern entry into the city of Goma, North Kivu province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, May 20, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi)
03 Jul 2026 04:41AM
KINSHASA, DR Congo: An Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo has killed more than 400 people and is still spreading, with a first case reported in the major city of Kisangani nearly 600 kilometres (370 miles) from its epicentre.The highly infectious disease has claimed 438 lives among the 1,406 people confirmed infected - a fatality rate of just over 31 per cent - since the outbreak was declared on May 15, the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) said in its latest report published on Thursday (Jul 2).The centre of the outbreak - whose true scale remains difficult to assess - was in the northeastern Ituri province, where more than 83 per cent of the deaths have occurred.The province borders South Sudan and Uganda, which has reported 20 cases including two deaths.The virus has also spread to the nearby provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.A case has also recently been reported in Kisangani, a northeastern city of 1.5 million residents and the capital of Tshopo province.A test on the body of a 24-year-old pregnant woman was positive for Ebola, the INSP said."The deceased's body was secretly transported by motorcycle to Kisangani" from the health zone of Nia Nia in Ituri, the health authorities said.The body of a deceased Ebola victim remains highly infectious and in many cases the virus has been transmitted during burial rites."Epidemics do not recognise borders," said DRC President Felix Tshisekedi on Thursday at a press conference in Kinshasa following an official visit by his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa.However, Ramaphosa called on the world to "not lock out the DRC" by imposing travel bans, expressing optimism toward containing the outbreak.
