Ebola kills 1,700 in eastern Congo as outbreak surges
An Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has resulted in over 1,700 deaths, making it the second-largest in history. Health officials report that the virus is spreading through community transmission, and efforts to contain it are being hampered by violence and mistrust.
Why it matters
The rapid spread and high mortality rate of this outbreak pose a significant public health threat to the region and highlight the challenges of international medical intervention.
Catholic nuns attend the funeral in June in Bunia, Congo, of a 6-month-old girl who died of Ebola. Moses Sawasawa/AP By Associated Press
BUNIA, Congo — Ebola has killed more than 1,700 people in eastern Congo in what has become the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease , according to data — spreading faster than health officials can track and with patient zero still unidentified.
As of Tuesday, 3,802 cases had been recorded, with 1,707 deaths, the latest government update showed.
It was not clear when the outbreak will reach its peak, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said Tuesday during his second visit to the town of Bunia, located near the epicenter of the outbreak in Ituri province.
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