SitRep 002

Report date 2026-05-17

Published

May 17, 2026

Caution

Machine translation from the French original with Google Gemini. No person has reviewed it.

Every number on this page was compared against the French transcription, and the page is published only if they match. The wording carries no such check. Before relying on any figure, read it in the original PDF.

Country/Province RDC/Ituri

Affected Health Zone Mongbwalu, Bunia and Rwampara

Reporting date 17 May 2026

Publication date 18 May 2026

Alerts	Alerts investigated	Confirmed Cases	Suspected Cases	Confirmed deaths	Bed occupancy rate among confirmed	Bed occupancy rate among suspects	Recovered
340	336	13	246	ND	ND	ND	0

I. HIGHLIGHTS

Declaration of the 17th MVE (Ebola virus disease) epidemic in the ZS (health zone) of Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu in the province of ITURI by his Excellency the Minister of Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare (15 May 26).

Drafting underway of the response plan for the 17th MVE epidemic;

Investigation and sample collection of a suspected case in Kinshasa originating from Butembo / Nord Kivu;

3 ZS /36 are affected, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.

13 cases returned positive out of 20 samples collected in the ZS Rwampara for non-Zaire Ebola (Sudan Ebola virus)

Context and justification

The COUSP (public health emergency operations centre)/RDC picked up an alert reporting clustered deaths of unknown etiology in the Health Zone of Mongbwalu (90 Km from Bunia), Djugu territory in the province of Ituri, which itself is located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A prior health signal dated 05 May 2026 originating from health personnel in the health zone of Mongbwalu before being officially notified on 8 May following reports of unexplained clustered deaths (50 deaths via social media).

Between 1st April and 13 May 2026, 261 – 280 suspected and probable including 100 deaths (55 intra-hospital and 45 community deaths in the health zone of Mongbwalu) were reported, among which 4 deaths, all healthcare professionals.

All these cases came from the Health Zones (ZS) of Mongbwalu, Rwampara and Bunia.

The focus is located in the Shun (or Sun 1) Quarter in Mongbwalu (Alimasi 1 and 2 avenues).

The event reportedly occurred in a context of strong suspicion of a community epidemic, initially marked by rapid and unexplained deaths, some cases of which are reportedly linked to practices of handling bodies and high-risk funerary rituals and prayer groups.

Following the review of in-hospital deaths, some common clinical signs such as fever, headache, vomiting, intense physical asthenia in the majority of cases and dyspnoea, haematemesis, epistaxis, blackish vomiting in other cases were noted.

The investigations conducted by the EIR made it possible to collect 28 samples from suspected cases.

Initially, preliminary tests carried out at INRB/Bunia were all negative for Ebola Zaire, dengue, Rotavirus, Cholera, Malaria, Yersinia pestis, MPOX and COVID-19 before forwarding 13 of these samples to INRB/Kinshasa for further analyses.

On the date of 14 May 2026, 8 cases proved positive for Ebola virus disease of the Bundibugyo/Uganda strain identified after sequencing.

Hence the confirmation of the 17th Ebola virus disease epidemic in the DRC.

II. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION UPDATE

Over the period from 1st April to 14 May 2026, a review of 256 patient records was carried out at the HGR (general referral hospital) of Mongbwalu, including 141 cases in April and 115 cases in May.

In total, 57 deaths were recorded, including 34 in April and 23 in May.

Following a meeting with the five ITs of the CECA 20, Notre Dame, Abelkozo, Ituri and Mongbwalu health areas, 45 community deaths were reported, including 26 in CECA 20 and 19 in Mongbwalu.

Among these deaths, 15 occurred in the same family in the AS (health area) of Mongbwalu, including 5 in Bunia, following a family gathering, over a period of two weeks.

The deceased individuals presented with the same clinical picture consisting of headaches, fever and vomiting.

According to the community, these deaths are reportedly linked to a story called “Tumu”, relating to fetishes that were reportedly burnt by a pastor, leading, according to local beliefs, to his death as well as that of his wife.

The situation is currently being investigated by the team.

Spatial distribution of affected Health Zones

[FIGURE: Mapping of affected Health Zones in terms of suspected (+confirmed) cases]

Cumulative cases as of 15 May 2026

Table 1. Distribution of alerts received, validated and investigated by Health Zone
Indicators	ZS Mongbwalu	ZS Rwampara	ZS Bunia	Total
Alerts received	256	72	12	340
Cases investigated	256	72	8	336
Suspected cases sampled	7	25	0	32
Confirmed Cases	0	13	0	13
Probable Cases	57	27	3	87
Suspected Cases in isolation	3	5	4	12
Suspected cases undergoing sampling	0	5	6	11

ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN

III. COORDINATION

Holding of CGUS meetings with the Bourgmestre of the Mongbwalu zone;

Holding of the bipartite meeting: WHO and Provincial Government;

Holding of 2 Provincial COUSP meetings;

Drafting underway of the Incident Action Plan (PAI);

Holding of the National COUSP meeting around the emergency situation

IV. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE

Official notification of the alert on 8 May 2026 following rumours of clustered deaths.

Updating of the epidemiological situation and line lists of suspected and probable cases

Collection of samples, analyses and dispatch of samples to INRB

V. LABORATORY

First thirteen samples collected, 2 of which analysed by RDT with negative results (Dengue, MPOX, Malaria, Yesinia pestis, COVID-19, Rotavirus and Cholera),

VII. INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL (PCI/WASH)

PCI (infection prevention and control) evaluation, CS Abelkozo (score 7%), HGR Mongbwalu (score 34%).

IX. RISK COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Initial sensitisation of community leaders and religious leaders to counter rumours of “mystical disease”.

Drafting of the draft message of the military Governor relating to the prevention of Ebola Virus disease which is claiming human lives in this province,

Drafting of educational messages, according to targets, on the prevention of this disease PCI:

Continuation of evaluations of conditions for the implementation of Infection Prevention and Control in healthcare facilities, Logistics:

Preparatory meeting on logistical statements of needs for all pillars.

X. SECURITY

Daily security monitoring.

XII. CHALLENGES AND GAPS

Lack of compliant isolation, drafting of the PAI and designation of SGI;

Lack of PCI supplies, sampling kits;

Need for CREC to manage community rumours,;

Staff not trained in PCI, sample collection, transport and storage, surveillance, management of diseases with epidemic potential;

Lack of triage at HGR Mongbwalu and CS;

Conducting complete EDS;

Urgent need for urgent standardised CTE (Ebola treatment centre) in the 3 ZS in epidemics.

XIII. OUTLOOK

Organise and standardise Safe and Dignified Burials (EDS) to neutralise the major source of contamination represented by bodies.

PCI kit, sampling and sample transport kits,

Training of providers on epidemiological surveillance, PCI, CREC

Strengthen community-based surveillance,

Multiplication of epidemiological surveillance tools, communication, …

Identification, rehabilitation and/or redevelopment of management facilities;

Strengthening of epidemiological surveillance at points of entry,

Trigger immediate cross-border coordination with Uganda and South Sudan to monitor population movements at borders.

Activation of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre

[PHOTO]

Press briefing by the Minister of Health

Meeting of the National Coordination, COUSP-RDC

Meeting of the Provincial Coordination, DPS Ituri

For the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) of the DRC

The Director General of the INSP

Dr MWAMBA KAZADI Dieudonné

Tel.: +243 816 040 145

Email: dieudonnemwambakazadi@gmail.com

The COU-SP Coordinator

Prof NGANDU Christian

Tel.: +243998091915

Email: nganduchristian@ymail.com

The Incident Manager SGI MVE Epi17

Email:

For the World Health Organization (OMS/RDC)

The Representative a.i. of the WHO in the DRC

Email: @who.int

WHO Incident Manager in the MVE response