Suspected Ebola case in Cagliari: patient in hospital
A person has been taken to a hospital in Cagliari over a suspected Ebola case. Authorities admitted the patient for tests. They are said to have recently returned from a trip abroad.
Published on 31/05/2026 - 18:06 GMT+2
Protocols have been activated for a suspected case of Ebola in Cagliari, Sardinia. A person was taken to Santissima Trinità Hospital, to the infectious diseases unit, after being picked up from home because they were showing symptoms consistent with the virus.
Police, firefighters and local police arrived at the scene, while doctors and nurses wearing protective suits and masks entered the home and collected the patient, who was then taken to hospital.
Local daily La Nuova Sardegna reports that the person is believed to be an individual who had recently returned from a trip abroad, although their nationality is not known.
Italy calls for tighter border controls
In recent days, Italy has sent experts from the Spallanzani hospital to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Prime Minister Meloni has also proposed to include border management on the agenda of the European Council meeting of 18–19 June 2026. Ahead of the meeting, the government in Rome has asked to bring forward coordination with a videoconference of health ministers next week and at the EPSCO Council on 16 June, in order to define operational priorities.
Ebola cases in DR Congo and Uganda
Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told the Financial Times on Sunday that as of 30 May there were 263 confirmed cases of Ebola and 43 confirmed deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and in Uganda, while suspected cases exceed 1,100.
The expert stressed that the epidemic is affecting a region that is “under pressure” and warned that “the risk of regional spread is real”. Kaseya then said there is “an African response” that is taking shape rapidly and that international partners continue to play an essential role.
