This chart shows just how rapidly Ebola is spreading
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading at an unprecedented rate compared to previous epidemics. Health officials are struggling to contain the virus, which is identified as the rare Bundibugyo strain for which no vaccine currently exists.
Why it matters
The rapid spread of a vaccine-resistant viral strain poses a significant threat to public health in Central and Eastern Africa.
The Ebola virus is spreading at an unprecedented rate this year.
In the first five months since the outbreak began in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 9,415 confirmed cases and 4,536 deaths in the country. While the virus has remained relatively contained by the DRC’s borders, case counts in neighboring Kenya and Uganda are also climbing (albeit more slowly). There are 20 confirmed cases in Uganda and eight in Kenya, and much of central and eastern Africa has tightened its borders.
The last major Ebola epidemic of this scale began in 2014 and continued through 2016 in West Africa. Over that period, it ultimately killed more than 11,000 people throughout West Africa. Nearly four years later, a smaller outbreak plagued Congo in its North Kivu region, leading to 2,229 deaths before it was contained.
Headlinne story · 8 newsrooms
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