A laboratory-confirmed case of mpox was identified in the northeastern Congolese city of Bunia, the director of a local hospital and two health officials said, raising concerns about a resurgence of the disease as the country battles its worst Ebola outbreak on record.
Health officials have reported an increase in mpox cases in several parts of the country over the past month, he said. She tested positive on Friday, he and two health officials told Reuters . Mpox is a viral disease that causes fever and skin lesions and spreads through close physical contact. Authorities cautioned at the time that the virus had not been eradicated and could resurge.
The epidemic caused by the Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15 in Ituri province, where Bunia is located, and has infected 7,890 people and killed 3,799, according to government data published on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Congo declared an end to mpox as a national public health emergency in April after a three-year outbreak that resulted in more than 34,000 confirmed cases nationwide. The latest case involves a 21-year-old woman who was admitted to hospital on Thursday with lesions across her body consistent with mpox, hospital director Davin Ambitapio Musungufu said.
Investigations are underway to trace contacts and identify the source of infection, Musungufu said. Adelard Lofungola, a health official who served as deputy incident manager for Congo’s mpox response, said five suspected mpox cases in Bunia were currently under investigation.
