Ebola outbreak in DRC 'growing exponentially,' UN warns
The United Nations has warned that an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading exponentially, with over 5,000 infections reported. Officials are struggling with funding shortages and violent resistance from local communities, complicating medical response efforts.
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.
More than 5,290 people have been infected and 2,516 died since the outbreak of Ebola was declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15. Photo by Dieudonne Dirole/EPA Aug. 23 (UPI) -- The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is "growing exponentially," a senior United Nations official said Friday.
More than 5,290 people have been infected and 2,516 died since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
Half of all deaths occurred in the last 20 days, U.N. Senior Ebola Coordinator Julien Harneis said.
"The epidemic is spreading to an area that is bigger than France," Harneis told reporters in Bunia. "And the outbreak is growing faster and wider than the Ebola response."
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment.
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