DR Congo’s Worst Ebola Epidemic Ever Passes 7,000 Cases
The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded over 7,000 cases in its worst-ever Ebola epidemic, though officials believe the outbreak has peaked. Despite the spread to a seventh province, health authorities report a decrease in new cases across several health zones.
Why it matters
The containment of a major Ebola outbreak is critical for regional stability and global public health security.
More than 7,000 Ebola cases have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo's worst outbreak of the deadly disease ever, according to figures released Saturday by Congolese authorities.
But the government also suggested that the spread of the disease may already have peaked, despite the virus having been confirmed in a seventh province earlier this week.
The DRC officially detected the latest outbreak in mid-May, with nearly 3,400 people killed in its 17th epidemic of the highly infectious virus.
It began in the northeastern Ituri province before spreading to conflict-plagued, remote eastern and northern regions where armed groups have roamed for decades, the presence of the state is weak and health infrastructure is lacking.
The disease was confirmed in South-Ubangi, which borders the Central African Republic and Congo-Brazzaville, earlier this week.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in