Published on 31/05/2026 – 18:06 GMT+2 • Updated 18:51
Health authorities activated protocols after a suspected Ebola case was identified in Cagliari, Sardinia. The individual was escorted from their home to the infectious diseases unit of Santissima Trinità Hospital because they exhibited symptoms consistent with the virus.
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Police, fire services and local authorities responded to the scene, while doctors and nurses in full protective gear entered the residence, secured the patient, and arranged transport to the hospital.
Later that evening, the Ministry of Health confirmed that the patient was symptomatic and had recently returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tests are scheduled to be performed at Rome’s Spallanzani Institute. “The patient is currently in isolation within a hospital facility,” the ministry stated, emphasizing that the overall Ebola risk in Italy remains very low.
Italy Calls for Strengthened Border Controls
Recent weeks have seen Italy dispatch experts from the Spallanzani Institute to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Prime Minister Meloni has proposed placing border management on the agenda of the European Council meeting slated for 18–19 June 2026. In preparation, the government in Rome seeks earlier coordination, including a health ministers’ videoconference next week and an EPSCO Council meeting on 16 June to set operational priorities.
Ebola Outbreak in the DRC and Uganda
On Sunday, Jean Kaseya, director‑general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Financial Times that as of 30 May there were 263 confirmed Ebola cases and 43 confirmed deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with suspected cases exceeding 1,100.
Kaseya warned that the outbreak is affecting a region already under significant strain and that “the risk of regional spread is real.” He added that an African response is rapidly forming and that international partners continue to play a crucial role.