DR Congo treatment centre discharges last confirmed Ebola patients in Ituri

Medical staff and local residents at a treatment centre in Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo danced and sang as they celebrated the discharge of the facility's last confirmed Ebola patients, France 24 reported. It is the first time since May that the centre is no longer treating any confirmed cases of the virus. [1]

The discharge comes amid a wider regional outbreak. Initial cases of the current epidemic were reported on May 14, 2026, in the Ituri Province, with early infections theorized to have occurred as early as January or February in the town of Mongbwalu. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country in Central Africa with a population of about 124 million people. [7][8]

Despite the empty treatment centre in Ituri, the broader outbreak has seen total cases exceed 10,000, UN News reported. Figures reported by CIDRAP show that deaths from the outbreak in the country are approaching 5,000, while FTMQ News reported earlier that confirmed cases had reached 10,000 with 4,887 reported deaths. [2][6][10]

The virus has also spread across borders. Bloomberg reported that genetic sequencing has linked Ebola cases in Kenya and Nigeria directly to the chain of transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Local organizations and international agencies continue efforts to manage the disease, with scouts bringing prevention education to local communities, WOSM reported. [3][4]