Ebola kills 1,700 in eastern Congo as outbreak surges
An Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has resulted in over 1,700 deaths, with health officials warning of rapid community spread. International health organizations are mobilizing to address the crisis, which is complicated by regional violence and mistrust.
Why it matters
The rapid spread of a deadly virus in a conflict-prone region poses a significant threat to global health security and humanitarian stability.
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BUNIA, Congo: Ebola has killed more than 1,700 people in eastern Congo in the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease, data showed.<br />
As of Tuesday, 3,802 cases had been recorded, with 1,707 deaths, according to the latest government update.<br />
It is not clear when the outbreak will reach its peak, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said during his second visit to the town of Bunia near the outbreak’s epicenter on Tuesday. Kaseya cautioned that nearly 80 percent of new cases are not coming from contact tracing but instead from community spread.<br />
The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, will arrive in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, today and is expected to visit Bunia later this week.</p>
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