Brazil Investigates Rare Ebola Cases After Travelers Return from DRC

Health authorities in Brazil are monitoring two patients for possible Ebola virus infections in the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro after the individuals returned from travel in Africa. The investigations, reported by Reuters and the BBC, began around May 30, 2026, as authorities activated safety protocols to prevent a potential outbreak outside of the African continent.

In São Paulo, the state government reported that a 37-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo exhibited symptoms including fever. While the patient has since tested positive for meningitis and remains in serious condition, health officials stated that this diagnosis does not rule out the possibility of a concurrent Ebola infection.

Simultaneously, the health department in Rio de Janeiro state activated safety protocols for a Belgian man who arrived from Uganda. The patient presented with viral symptoms, including chills, a cough, and diarrhoea. Like the patient in São Paulo, the Belgian man has received a separate diagnosis—testing positive for malaria—but officials continue to monitor him for Ebola.

Test results for both patients are expected to become available during the first full week of June 2026. If the results are positive, these would represent the first confirmed cases of Ebola infection outside of Africa since the current outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Bundibugyo Strain

The current outbreak is attributed to a rare strain of the virus known as Bundibugyo. According to reporting from the BBC, this specific strain has no proven vaccine and carries a high mortality rate, killing approximately one-third of those who become infected.

Ebola viruses typically infect animals, most commonly fruit bats. Human outbreaks often initiate when individuals handle or consume infected animals. Once present in the human population, the virus spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. These fluids include blood, saliva, sweat, urine, vomit, semen, and excrement.

Outbreak Context in Africa

The suspected cases in Brazil coincide with a significant surge of the virus in Central and East Africa. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are currently more than 1,000 suspected cases of Ebola, with at least 246 deaths recorded. Uganda has reported one death and nine confirmed cases.

The rapid escalation of the virus has drawn warnings from international medical organizations. On May 30, 2026, the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) highlighted the severity of the situation.

the rapid spread of the virus had caused an “alarming situation”, with an unprecedented number of cases recorded so soon into the outbreak.

Médecins Sans Frontières

Brazilian health authorities continue to maintain surveillance and isolation protocols for the two travelers while awaiting definitive laboratory confirmation of their status.