Authorities in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have placed two travellers from affected regions under isolation, raising fears the deadly DRC outbreak could be spreading beyond Africa for the first time.
By IDEA Television News Desk 2 min read
Brazilian health authorities are monitoring two patients for possible Ebola infection in the country’s two largest cities — São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro — officials confirmed on Saturday, May 31.
In São Paulo, a 37-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) presented with fever and was classified as a suspected Ebola case. The São Paulo state government confirmed that while initial tests did not detect the virus, the patient is being kept in isolation at a specialised infectious disease facility as a precautionary measure.
Meanwhile in Rio de Janeiro, health authorities activated safety protocols after a Belgian man who had arrived from Uganda displayed viral symptoms including cough, chills, and diarrhoea. In a development that may ease immediate concerns, the Rio city government confirmed on Sunday evening that the patient tested positive for malaria — though the case remains under further investigation.
“If confirmed, these would be the first Ebola infection cases outside Africa since the current outbreak began.”
The DRC outbreak was declared on May 15, 2026, and has since grown to over 1,000 suspected cases and at least 246 deaths. The virus has already crossed into neighbouring Uganda, where nine confirmed cases and one death have been reported. Ongoing conflict in eastern DRC — including attacks by rebel groups in Ituri province — has severely hampered containment efforts.
The World Health Organisation has urged early treatment-seeking, with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressing that patients who present symptoms early can recover, calling the outbreak “everybody’s business.”
Brazilian health officials are expected to release further test results for both patients early next week. No travel bans or emergency measures have been announced at this stage.
