An IMeBIO mobile laboratory deployed in Kasenyi is helping bring rapid diagnostic capacity closer to communities affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A mobile laboratory designed and manufactured by IMeBIO is currently supporting the response to the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
As recently highlighted by the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region, the laboratory has been deployed in Kasenyi, Ituri Province, a strategic location on the shores of Lake Albert and at the border with Uganda.
The current Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak was confirmed in the DRC and Uganda in May 2026. WHO has been supporting national authorities in strengthening surveillance, laboratory capacity, contact tracing and cross-border preparedness as part of the response.
Bringing diagnostics closer to the outbreak
In an epidemic response, the time between sample collection and laboratory confirmation can be critical.
Before the mobile laboratory was installed in Kasenyi, samples collected in the area had to be transported approximately 55 kilometres to Bunia. Due to challenging road conditions, transportation alone could take almost three hours, and confirmation of a suspected case could take up to five hours.
Since the deployment of the mobile laboratory on 23 July 2026, analyses can be performed directly in Kasenyi, with results available in approximately one hour, according to WHO.
Within its first days of operation, the laboratory had already analysed more than 20 samples.
Mobile laboratories as a tool for outbreak preparedness and response
The deployment demonstrates the strategic value of mobile and containerized laboratories during public health emergencies.
By integrating laboratory infrastructure and containment systems into a transportable solution, mobile laboratories can provide diagnostic capabilities closer to affected populations while reducing dependence on distant centralized facilities.
For outbreak response, this can help shorten the time between sample collection, laboratory analysis and the implementation of appropriate public health measures.
The Kasenyi laboratory is operated by a Congolese team of laboratory professionals working alongside Ugandan counterparts, supporting both rapid diagnosis and cross-border surveillance.
Engineering designed for real-world biosafety challenges
At IMeBIO, our mission is to design and manufacture mobile, modular and containerized laboratory infrastructures capable of operating in demanding environments while providing the biosafety and biocontainment conditions required for their intended activities.
Seeing an IMeBIO laboratory actively contributing to the response to a major infectious disease outbreak demonstrates the importance of combining engineering, biosafety and deployability.
A mobile laboratory is more than a transportable infrastructure: when deployed where diagnostic capacity is limited, it can become an essential component of surveillance and outbreak response.
Supporting those on the front line
The impact of any laboratory ultimately depends on the professionals who operate it.
IMeBIO is proud to see its technology supporting the work of the laboratory teams, national health authorities, INRB, WHO and the Congolese and Ugandan professionals involved in the response.
We remain committed to developing laboratory solutions that help strengthen diagnostic preparedness and make safe laboratory capacity available where and when it is needed most.
The WHO article is available here:
