Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC spreads to two more health zones, total areas hit reaches 60

The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has moved into the Biena and Manguredjipa health zones in North Kivu, bringing the number of affected zones to 60 across the eastern region. Health authorities say the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain, has produced more than 6,000 confirmed cases and close to 3,000 deaths, with an overall case‑fatality rate of about 48 percent. Response teams are operating in six provinces, focusing on Ituri, North Kivu and Haut‑Uélé, while Doctors Without Borders has opened a new treatment centre in Beni to improve patient care and contact tracing. The crisis is being hampered by armed insecurity, large‑scale displacement, a strike by health workers and extensive population movements, and there are no approved vaccines or treatments for this strain.