Congo Ebola cases reach record first

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has recorded the highest number of confirmed cases within the first month of any outbreak of the disease, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in Congo has reached 1,048 confirmed cases, including 267 deaths, with the number of infections surpassing 1,000 on Sunday for the first time since the outbreak began. Health experts say the virus may have been circulating for months before authorities officially declared the outbreak on May 15, allowing transmission to expand before containment measures were fully activated. Abdirahman Mahamud, a Senior WHO official, said the scale of the outbreak had been driven partly by its early spread into urban areas, including Bunia and the mining town of Mongbwalu. Unlike many previous Ebola outbreaks, which were first detected in rural communities and often contained more quickly, the current outbreak gained a foothold in populated urban centres, increasing the risk of wider transmission.