Congo battles record Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak with over 5,000 cases

Congo's Ministry of Health confirmed 5,021 infections and 2,378 deaths linked to the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, marking the biggest outbreak of this rare strain. The virus was first detected in a patient who fell ill in late April and died in Bunia, Ituri province, an area already facing insecurity and displacement. Health officials identified the virus in early May after a cluster of unexplained illnesses near the gold-mining town of Mongbwalu, and the outbreak was officially declared on May 15.

Cases have since spread beyond Ituri, crossing into Uganda, which has stopped further transmission, and a single case was reported in France in a doctor who later recovered. The World Health Organization has labeled the crisis a public health emergency of international concern, warning that continued spread could eventually exceed the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic.