Health authorities in Sardinia have activated emergency protocols after a suspected case of Ebola was reported in Cagliari. The patient, who had recently returned from a trip abroad, was taken to the infectious diseases unit at Santissima Trinità Hospital after displaying symptoms consistent with the virus.
Emergency services, including police, firefighters, and local law enforcement, responded to the patient's home. Medical staff wearing protective suits and masks collected the individual and transported them to the hospital for testing. Local daily La Nuova Sardegna reported that the person's nationality has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear which country they had visited.
Italy Calls for Tighter EU Border Controls
The incident comes as Italy intensifies its response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. In recent days, Rome dispatched experts from the Spallanzani hospital in Rome to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has proposed adding border management to the agenda of the European Council meeting scheduled for 18–19 June 2026. Ahead of that summit, the Italian government has requested an urgent videoconference of EU health ministers next week, followed by discussions at the EPSCO Council on 16 June, to define operational priorities for containing the virus.
The European Union has already been active in the region. Earlier this month, the EU and UNICEF airlifted 100 tonnes of medical aid to Goma to support the DRC's response. Meanwhile, Uganda has closed its border with the DRC as a rare strain of the virus spreads across the region.
Ebola Cases Surge in DRC 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 Ebola cases and 43 confirmed deaths in the DRC and Uganda. Suspected cases exceed 1,100. Kaseya warned that the epidemic is affecting a region already “under pressure” and that “the risk of regional spread is real”. He noted that an “African response” is taking shape rapidly, with international partners continuing to play an essential role.
The World Health Organization has also stepped up efforts. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently visited the DRC's Ebola epicentre to push for a community-led response, while the International Rescue Committee has warned that without urgent global action, the outbreak could become the deadliest on record.
The suspected case in Cagliari underscores the interconnected nature of global health security. As European nations monitor travellers from affected regions, the incident serves as a reminder of the need for coordinated surveillance and rapid response mechanisms across the continent.
