EBOLA SPREADS TO 7TH DRC PROVINCE AS SOUTH-UBANGI CONFIRMS CASE

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to a new territory, with South-Ubangi Province becoming the 17th province to report a confirmed case of the deadly virus.

Health officials in the province, which shares borders with the Central African Republic and Congo-Brazzaville, officially declared the outbreak on Saturday after laboratory tests confirmed a suspected case.

Acting Governor of South-Ubangi, Jean-Rene Galekwa, announced that an Ebola patient died in the province after undertaking extensive travel across the country and neighboring states.

According to the governor, the patient first developed symptoms in Tshopo Province in the northeastern part of DRC before embarking on a journey that took him through Rwanda and Uganda.

Galekwa said the infected individual later returned to DRC through Ituri Province and continued his movement by boat along the Congo River until he reached South-Ubangi.

The cross-border movement of the patient has raised fresh concerns about regional transmission, as South-Ubangi sits at a critical junction linking DRC with two neighboring countries.

Health authorities have moved swiftly to contain the situation. They said 38 people who came into direct contact with the deceased have been identified and placed under quarantine for close monitoring.

Officials added that surveillance teams have been deployed to border communities to screen travelers and educate residents on symptoms and preventive measures.

The World Health Organization and the DRC Ministry of Health have also dispatched rapid response teams to South-Ubangi to support contact tracing, safe burials, and community sensitization.

This latest case brings the total number of affected provinces in the current outbreak to 17, marking one of the widest geographical spreads of Ebola in DRC’s recent history.

Epidemiologists warn that river transport and porous borders could accelerate the spread if urgent containment measures are not sustained in all affected and at-risk provinces.

The DRC government has appealed to citizens in border areas to report any suspected cases immediately and avoid contact with sick persons or bodies, as health workers intensify efforts to stop further transmission.