Health officials suspect Ebola in man who returned from DR Congo

Health Ministry says patient sought treatment after developing fever, now in isolation at Beersheba hospital; test results expected within 24 hours

A man who recently returned to Israel from the Democratic Republic of Congo is suspected to be suffering from a case of Ebola infection, the Health Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

Days after returning from the trip, the man sought medical attention when he developed a fever, the ministry said. He was taken to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba and placed in isolation.

The man is undergoing testing, and results are expected within a day, according to the ministry.

The statement stressed that at this stage, Ebola is only a suspicion.

Meanwhile, the ministry is undertaking an epidemiological investigation, it said.

The ministry urged Israelis to avoid all unnecessary travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda, and especially to areas within those countries that have active infections.

If a person must travel to one of those countries, they are advised to consult a travel clinic beforehand, the ministry said.

A health worker in protective gear prepares to mop the floor at an ebola treatment centre in Bunia, Congo, August 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Dieudonne Dirole)

Anyone who has returned from one of those countries is urged to monitor their health.

If they develop a fever or other unusual symptoms within 21 days of their return, they must stay home and avoid contact with others. They must also report their symptoms to the ministry hotline at *5400, and note in the conversation where they returned from.

There has never yet been a confirmed case of Ebola in Israel, according to the Health Ministry.

In June, two patients in Israeli hospitals were suspected of having Ebola, but tested negative.

There were also several suspected cases that turned out to be negative during a previous outbreak in 2014.

This undated colorized transmission electron micrograph file image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows an Ebola virus virion. (Frederick Murphy/CDC via AP, File)

Last week, the World Health Organization, along with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urged a scale-up of the response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC.

As of August 7, the DRC had seen 4,209 confirmed cases and 1,916 deaths since mid-May, when the outbreak was officially declared, the WHO said, adding that 828 people had recovered from the disease.

Uganda has seen 20 confirmed cases and 2 deaths. France had a confirmed case in June – a doctor who had returned from the DRC – and that patient recovered.