Ebola spreading in DRC 'faster than any previous outbreak': WHO
The WHO reports that an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading at an unprecedented rate, with over 2,000 cases confirmed. Despite increased treatment capacity, the virus continues to outpace containment efforts, particularly in the Ituri province.
Why it matters
The rapid spread of a rare Ebola strain without an approved vaccine poses a significant public health threat to the region and requires urgent international intervention.
More than 2,000 cases including 796 deaths have been confirmed in the DR Congo since the outbreak was declared two months ago, making it "now the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record", WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.
By comparison, he pointed out that the big Ebola outbreak in the DRC in 2018-2020 "took more than 10 months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases", warning that the virus was spreading faster than ever seen before.
"In the past month, it has expanded faster than any previous outbreak," he warned.
The DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15 after several deaths in Ituri, a mineral-rich northeastern province, plagued by armed groups.
Cases of Ebola, which spreads through close contact and infected bodily fluids, have so far been found in five DRC provinces, as well as in neighbouring Uganda, though the vast majority are in Ituri.
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