A KwaZulu-Natal Ministry of Health official, Nomagugu Simelane, addressed the province's residents to dispel concerns regarding the Ebola virus, confirming that there are currently no cases of infection with this virus in the province or the country.
Simelane strongly urged citizens to ignore the wave of false information being spread on social media and recommended obtaining updates exclusively from official health authorities. Her statement came amid numerous misleading voice messages and posts falsely claiming the widespread presence of Ebola in KZN.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed that there have been no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola in the country, and the National Department of Health categorically denied these rumors as unfounded. Nosifo Ndaba, a public relations officer at Dr. Packley Ka Isaac Semme Memorial Hospital, emphasized the importance of vigilance in her published opinion.
She noted that although Ebola does not currently threaten South Africa, proximity to countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, which are battling outbreaks of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, necessitates maintaining readiness. Ndaba stated that 'South Africa is only one flight away from a potential imported case,' stressing the need for preparedness to protect public health even in the absence of an outbreak.
The hospital, which is one of four in KwaZulu-Natal designated to combat potential viral hemorrhagic fevers, has established a specialized infectious disease unit equipped with isolation rooms and observation areas. The hospital's readiness was described as 'well advanced.' Weekly meetings of the hospital's Joint Operations Committee ensured continuous assessment of preparedness.
Multidisciplinary teams regularly conduct mock drills and simulation exercises to identify and strengthen weaknesses in response protocols. These joint efforts involve medical staff, emergency service personnel, infection prevention specialists, and support staff to guarantee full readiness in case of a suspected Ebola case. Ndaba informed the public that these preparations are part of routine disaster planning, not a reaction to a current outbreak.
The experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the value of rapid planning, prompt response, and coordinated action in public health emergencies. Provincial health leadership stressed that surveillance systems remain active at entry points, and regional situation monitoring continues in collaboration with international health bodies.
As the health department continued to reassure the public, officials called for caution in spreading unverified information on social media. The department noted that disinformation can provoke unnecessary panic and undermine public trust. Residents were encouraged to follow updates from the Department of Health and NICD, as well as maintain good hygiene, such as regular handwashing.
According to data released on Tuesday evening by the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRCongo), more than two thousand Ebola cases have been confirmed, resulting in a total of 754 deaths. Currently, 753 individuals remain in isolation or in hospitals, while 366 have recovered.
Contact monitoring in the country, which has over one hundred million inhabitants, remains a major obstacle, with coverage of exposed people reaching only 67%. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported in a statement issued that day that Ebola is spreading in DRCongo at a rate considered 'unprecedented.'
Trish Newport, MSF's emergency coordinator, emphasized that the number of infected individuals is growing, leading more families to lose loved ones, which complicates epidemic control. She stressed the need for 'firmer and coordinated international action to act more quickly and improve access to both Ebola medical care and other essential health services.'
DRCongo, located in Central Africa, has been facing the epidemic caused by the Bundibugyo virus since May. Two months after the start, the spread continues to be faster than health authorities can track, even with an expanded response.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Tuesday that at least 80% of new cases originate from unknown transmission chains. Furthermore, the WHO warned that the true scale of the Ebola epidemic in DRCongo could be 'two to four times' larger than official estimates.
One of the biggest problems is that health authorities have not yet identified the 'patient zero' of the epidemic. Additionally, displacements caused by armed conflicts and movements related to mining complicate the tracing of thousands of people who came into contact with infected individuals.
Chikwe Ihekweazu, WHO's head of health emergencies, reported on Tuesday, after returning from Bunia, in Ituri—the most affected province—that many of the recent deaths occurred in people who never accessed a health center or received medical assistance.
Health professionals in various areas of Ituri are on strike, claiming they have not been paid since the beginning of their work on the epidemic. Containment efforts are also hampered by the absence of approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo virus.
In just two months, this Ebola outbreak, which has evolved into an epidemic, has become the 17th to hit DRCongo, making it the third largest and the fastest growing among all recorded to date.
Officially declared in May in Ituri, a border province with Uganda and South Sudan, the epidemic has spread to Uganda. In this latter country, 20 cases have been confirmed, 15 of which were brought from DRCongo, including two fatalities.
The epidemic is linked to the Bundibugyo strain, which has a fatality rate ranging between 30% and 50%, and for which there is no authorized vaccine or specific treatment, according to the WHO. The organization classifies the risk of the outbreak spreading in Sub-Saharan Africa as 'high', but globally as 'low'. The WHO estimates that the virus began circulating in Ituri about two months before the outbreak was declared and classified the epidemic as a 'public health emergency of international concern' on May 17.
The virus is transmitted through direct contact with the body fluids of infected people or animals and causes severe hemorrhagic fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal bleeding.
