The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to a fourth province, Haut-Uélé, after an infected person travelled from the epicentre in Ituri, health authorities confirmed. The total number of confirmed cases across the country rose sharply over the weekend to 1,274, with 360 deaths, as the first case outside Africa was detected in France — a doctor who had worked at a treatment centre in the affected zone and transited through Kinshasa. In response, the Congolese government extended a ban on mass gatherings to the capital and three other provinces, and ordered a 21-day quarantine for anyone travelling from the outbreak area to other parts of the country.

The epidemic is driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which no licensed vaccine or specific treatment exists. Scientists note that this strain may produce a slower onset of symptoms, allowing early cases to be mistaken for malaria or other common illnesses. The outbreak was not identified until mid-May, weeks after the first suspected deaths in January, giving the virus time to spread through traditional funeral rites in which mourners touch the body — a practice that remains a primary transmission route. Insecurity caused by armed groups, including the M23 rebels and ADF militia, complicates the deployment of response teams across the rugged, gold-rich borderlands of north-eastern Congo.

Ituri province accounts for more than 90% of infections, with 1,165 cases and 301 deaths. Neighbouring Uganda has recorded 20 cases and two fatalities, though authorities there say the situation is under control. The World Health Organization has sounded an international alert, warning that the outbreak is moving faster than containment efforts. In Kinshasa, the ban on mass gatherings has drawn criticism from opposition parties, who allege it is a political manoeuvre to block a planned protest on 8 July against a proposed constitutional change; the government has not responded to the accusation. No Ebola cases have been confirmed in the capital, but the transit of the infected doctor through the city has heightened vigilance.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said clinical trials for new antiviral drugs could begin as early as this week. The WHO and medical NGOs are scaling up surveillance, contact tracing, and safe burial protocols, but health facilities remain under-equipped and treatment centres are already saturated. The next factual milestone is the launch of those drug trials and whether the outbreak can be confined to the four currently affected provinces.