SitRep 005
Report date 2026-05-19
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Public health emergency operations centre (COUSP)
« COUSP-RDC »
Situation Report on the 17th outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease/DRC
MVE (Ebola virus disease) SitRep No. 005/MVE_17/2026
Affected provinces ITURI, NORD-KIVU
Affected Health Zones ITURI: Mongbwalu, Rwampara, Bunia, Nyankunde, NORD KIVU: Goma, Katwa and Butembo
Reporting date 19 May 2026
Publication date 20 May 2026
[PHOTO]
| Affected provinces | Health zones | New confirmed cases | New confirmed deaths | New probable cases | New suspected cases | New contacts listed | Recovered of the day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ituri | Bunia | 0 | 0 | ND | 29 | 76 | 0 |
| Ituri | Rwampara | 4 | 0 | ND | 18 | 215 | 0 |
| Ituri | Mungbwalu | 12 | 0 | ND | 7 | 15 | 0 |
| Ituri | Nyankunde | 0 | 0 | ND | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Ituri | Subtotal | 16 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 306 | 0 |
| Nord-Kivu | Goma | 0 | 0 | ND | ND | ND | 0 |
| Nord-Kivu | Butembo | 0 | 0 | ND | ND | ND | 0 |
| Nord-Kivu | Katwa | 0 | 0 | ND | ND | ND | 0 |
| Nord-Kivu | Subtotal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 16 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 306 | 0 |
High-level meeting held by Minister of Communication With the Minister of Health, the DG of Africa CDC, Muyembe and the DG of the INSP (National Institute of Public Health)
I. CONTEXT
Ituri province is located in the North-East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and shares a long border with Uganda and South Sudan.
For more than two decades, it has been facing a chronic humanitarian crisis linked to armed conflicts and recurrent population displacements.
It has an estimated population of over 8 million inhabitants among whom more than one million internally displaced persons.
In September 2018, this province was affected by an Ebola virus disease outbreak that was raging in the neighbouring province of Nord-Kivu.
The health zone of Mongbwalu is one of the 36 health zones of the province of Ituri.
Considered as the starting point of the outbreak it is located in the territory of Djugu where several armed groups operate.
It is located 70 km from Bunia, capital of the province of Ituri, with frequent population movements towards Uganda.
This locality has the particularity of having several work sites that attract populations coming from other territories of the province and neighbouring provinces.
II. HISTORY OF THE OUTBREAK
On 05 May 2026, social networks declare an outbreak of deaths of unknown cause with nearly 50 deaths already recorded in the health zone of Mongbwalu.
After the confirmation of this alert, the Chief Medical Officer of the health zone of Mongbwalu shares the report of the preliminary investigation on 09 May 2026.
On 11 May 2026, the provincial health authorities organise an emergency meeting and decide to deploy rapid intervention teams to Mongbwalu and Rwampara which had reported suspected viral haemorrhagic fever deaths in patients admitted to the Centre médical Evangélique de Rwampara, originating from Mongbwalu.
The investigations conducted on 12 May 2026, simultaneously in the health zones of Mongbwalu and Rwampara by the Rapid Intervention Teams of the Provincial Health Division (DPS) of Ituri revealed that most of the suspected patients or deaths had fever, headache, vomiting, intense physical asthenia.
Deaths occurred 2 to 3 days after the onset of the disease in a presentation of haematemesis, epistaxis or blackish vomiting.
During the investigations in the health zone of Rwampara, 20 samples from suspected cases or deaths were collected.
The majority of sampled persons came from the health zone of Mongbwalu.
Preliminary tests carried out at the Bunia Laboratory were all negative for Ebola Zaire, dengue, Rotavirus, Cholera, Malaria, Yersinia pestis, mpox and COVID-19.
These samples were sent to the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in Kinshasa for additional examinations.
On 14 May 2026, 13 cases of these 20 samples were tested and 8 were positive for non-Zaire Ebola virus disease at INRB Kinshasa.
On 15 May 2026, sequencing of positive samples allowed the identification of the BUNDIBUGYO strain, which enabled the Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Welfare (MSHPS) to officially declare the 17th outbreak of Ebola virus disease.
Ebola virus disease (Bundibugyo strain), thus marking the 17th outbreak in the history of the country
As of 19 May 2026, a total of 51 cases have been notified in two provinces (49 in Ituri and 2 in Nord-Kivu), with 99 samples analysed out of the 183 received to date.
[FIGURE: CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS]
II. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SITUATION UPDATE
− 16 New confirmed cases on 19 May 2026 in the province of Ituri.
− As of 19 May 2026, cumulative total of 51 confirmed cases including 48 confirmed cases in Ituri and 3 in Nord-Kivu
Presentation of the situation of the 17th MVE outbreak in DRC at the IHR emergency committee meeting at the global level.
| Health zones | Carried over alerts (18/05) | New alerts (19/05) | Total alerts of the day (19/05) | Living alerts | Deceased alerts | Investigated alerts | Uninvestigated alerts | Validated alerts | Invalidated alerts | Sampled suspected cases | Unsampled suspected cases | Isolated suspected cases | Non-isolated suspected cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunia | 0 | 35 | 35 | 30 | 5 | 33 | 2 | 29 (5 deaths) | 4 | 10 | 19 | 30 | 0 |
| Rwampara | 8 | 19 | 27 | 22 | 5 | 20 | 7 | 18 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 0 |
| Nyankunde | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Mongbwalu | 0 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Komanda | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 (death) | 2 | 0 |
| Bambu | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (death) | 0 | 0 |
| Mangala | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 (living) | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 73 | 81 | 62 | 19 | 71 | 10 | 36 | 6 | 38 | 27 | 55 | 1 |
| Health zones | Daily tracing Carried over from 18/05/2026 | Daily tracing New contacts on 19/05/2026 | Daily tracing Contact to follow this day | Daily tracing Contacts seen | Daily tracing Discharges 21 Days | Daily tracing Became Suspects | Follow-up rate | Total not seen | Reason for not seen Simple Absence | Reason for not seen Lost to follow-up (≥72 hours) | Reason for not seen Never seen | Reason for not seen Refusal | Reason for not seen Displaced | Reason for not seen Reco did not visit | Remaining to follow the following day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunia | 127 | 76 | 203 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1,5% | 200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 200 | 203 |
| Rwampara | 120 | 215 | 335 | 78 | 0 | 0 | 23% | 257 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 257 | 335 |
| Nyankunde | 133 | 0 | 133 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 133 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 133 | 133 |
| Mongbwalu | 161 | 15 | 176 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 176 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 176 | 176 |
| Total | 541 | 306 | 847 | 81 | 0 | 1 | 9,6% | 766 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 766 | 847 |
| Provinces | Health zones | No. of suspected cases | No. of suspected deaths | No. of Confirmed cases | No. of contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ituri | Mongbwalu | 309 | 77 | 13 | 176 |
| Ituri | Rwampara | 154 | 43 | 25 | 335 |
| Ituri | Bunia | 90 | 23 | 6 | 203 |
| Ituri | Nyankunde | 19 | 5 | 4 | 133 |
| Nord-Kivu | Goma | 1 | 0 | 1 | N |
| Nord-Kivu | Katwa | 1 | 0 | 1 | ND |
| Nord-Kivu | Butembo | 1 | 0 | 1 | ND |
| Total | Total | 575 | 148 | 51 | 847 |
*These data are subject to change after harmonisation of data at different levels of the health pyramid with the incident management system.
ND= Not available
III. RESPONSE ACTIONS
COORDINATION
• Holding of the coordination meeting with the sections.
• Participation in the strategic meetings at the governorate and at central level
• Holding of the coordination meeting with the sections.
• Participation in the strategic meetings at the governorate and at provincial level
• Sharing of priority activities with budget with the central level
• Establishment and revitalisation of the intervention teams
• Site assessment for the installation of CTE (Ebola treatment centre)
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SURVEILLANCE
• Mapping of confirmed cases: ZS (health zone) Bunia and Rwampara
• Active case finding for MVE cases: ZS Bunia, Bambu, Rwampara, Nyankunde
• Investigation around MVE alerts: ZS Bunia, Mongbwalu, Rwampara, Nyankunde, Kamanda, Mangala, Bambu and Aru
• Ofoo /ZS ARU: provenance from Bukavu passing through Kigali, Uganda heading for DURBA.
• PoE Kasenyi/ZS TCHOMIA: A lifeless body from Uganda/Kampala for the town of Bunia.
LABORATORY
Results as of 18 May 2026 (RADIONE)
• Carried over samples: 84
• Samples received: 46 (New suspected cases)
• Samples to analyse: 130
• Samples analysed of the day: 31
• Resampled samples analysed: 0
• Confirmed cases of the day: 16 (Mongbwalu: 12 and, 4 without investigation forms)
• Cumulative confirmed cases: 51
o Ituri Laboratory: 48
o Goma Laboratory: 1
o Butembo Laboratory: 2
RISK COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT (CREC)
• Broadcast of the message of the Military Governor of the Province on compliance with measures to control Ebola in Ituri Province through various communication channels (Radios, schools, social networks,)
• Advocacy meetings with both the Spokesperson of the Provincial Government and Head of Communication of the Governorate as well as the Head of the local State Protocol Service.
• Five (5) Advocacy meetings: with the Head of the Provincial Division of EPST Province Oriental 1, Head of the Youth Division and Head of the Provincial Division of Gender, Family and Child, FARDC commander in the ZS of MANGALA, with the Provincial Committee of Traditional Practitioners of Ituri;
• Successively to prohibit pupils from being expelled from schools for not wearing masks, for the mobilisation of youth organisations in communication activities in support to mobilise women’s associations in community engagement for the success of this response;
• Dissemination of the local toll-free number (0821419595).
INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL
ZS Bunia
• The establishment of triage at DPS level,
• 1 EDS carried out and decontamination: HGR (general referral hospital) Bunia,
• Briefing of teams of supervisors and decontaminators of the ZS/Bunia; Supervisors of the DPS, surface technicians of LPSP,
• Briefing of 3 surface technicians of HGR-Bunia assigned to the entrance for triage,
• Provision of handwashing facilities to the PCI (infection prevention and control) pillar by MUSACA,
• Provision of 30 Kg of Chlorine by Save the Children to the PCI pillar
ZS Rwampara
• Support to healthcare providers in the practice of hand hygiene at CS SHARI, DELE and Poste de Santé la Victoire,
• Decontamination of Clinique la GRACE DIVINE and CM GLORIA
ZS Mongbwalu
• Briefing of 3 providers of CTE Mongwalu on standard precautions,
• Decontamination of isolation unit,
• GAP:
• Shortage of Surface Technicians in HGR Mongwalu,
• Lack of training of sub-commission members,
• Lack of PPE to carry out EDS.
• The security situation in the town of Bunia (ZS of Bunia and Rwampara) is relatively calm
III. CHALLENGES
• Reinforce intervention teams in affected ZS,
• Make means of travel (mobility) available to field teams,
• Fill the GAP in sampling kits,
• Continue contact listing and start contact tracing in all ZS,
• Develop population mobility mapping in affected health zones,
• Reinforce epidemiological surveillance and community-based surveillance,
• Train providers in epidemiological surveillance, community-based surveillance and laboratory
[PHOTO]
Briefing of 52 people including 25 PCI Supervisors and 27 Surface Technicians on wearing PPE and decontamination
Decontamination of the Ambulance having transported the suspected case
4680 (768 men, 887 women 1637 girls, 1389 boys) people sensitised by Red Cross of the DRC volunteers, through door-to-door strategies in AS (health area) of Bigo
Harmonisation session of activities and drafting of sitrep
FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
For the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) of the DRC
The Director General of the INSP
Dr MWAMBA KAZADI Dieudonné
E-mail: dieudonnemwambakazadi@gmail.com
Tel.: +243 816 040 145
The COU-SP Coordinator
Prof NGANDU Christian
E-mail: nganduchristian@ymail.com
Tel.: +243998091915
For the World Health Organization (WHO/DRC)
The ad interim Representative of WHO in the DRC
Dr Anne Marie ANCIA
E-mail: anciaa @who.int
The Team Lead Cluster EPR of WHO in the DRC
Dr FOTSING Richard
E-mail: fotsingri@who.int
For the health information management team
Mr Henri MBIYA-NGANDU
E-mail: mbiyanganduluboyah@who.int