Ebola Scare in Italy: Doctor Under Watch After DRC Mission, But Risk Remains ‘Very Low’
Italy is on high alert after a doctor who recently returned from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was placed under active surveillance as a precautionary measure. The physician, who remains asymptomatic, had been working in one of Central Africa’s most volatile outbreak zones. The Italian Ministry of Health has moved swiftly to reassure the public, stating that no Ebola cases currently exist on Italian soil and that the threat level remains “very low.” This development comes amid a worrying outbreak in the DRC, which has already claimed at least 264 lives out of over 1,200 suspected and confirmed cases.
The case involves a doctor who, on May 16, performed emergency life-saving surgery on a child injured in a grenade explosion in the DRC. That child is a suspected Ebola case, though laboratory results are still pending. The doctor, who has since returned to Italy, is now isolated in the infectious diseases unit at Santissima Trinità Hospital in Cagliari. This marks the third suspected case in Italy within a week, though none have been laboratory-confirmed. The Ministry emphasizes that the patient never left Kinshasa, while the active outbreak is centered in Ituri Province, over 1,500 kilometers away, providing geographic reassurance.
What makes this outbreak particularly concerning is that it involves the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a strain for which no approved vaccines or treatments exist, unlike the more common Zaire strain. This has prompted heightened vigilance across Europe, with Austria and Italy reporting multiple suspect cases in recent days. In response, Italy has implemented new travel rules: anyone arriving from DRC or Uganda—even indirectly—must now file a mandatory declaration covering 21 days prior to arrival. This measure aims to trace potential exposures and prevent any possible spread.
The emergency response on Via Manno in Cagliari involved a coordinated deployment rarely seen outside major incidents, underscoring the seriousness with which health authorities are treating the situation. However, the Ministry of Health continues to stress that the national risk level remains very low, and the public should remain calm. As the situation evolves, Italy remains on guard, balancing precaution with pragmatism in the face of a global health threat.
Shimanta Das 
