Ebola surge in northeastern DRC outpaces WHO containment efforts
The Ebola outbreak in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 2,000 people and is spreading faster than any previous episode, according to the World Health Organization.
Health officials say the current Ebola flare in the DRC's northeast has already claimed 2,000 lives and is expanding at an unprecedented rate. The World Health Organization warned that containment measures are lagging behind the virus's transmission. Experts from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and WHO discussed the factors driving the crisis and the associated risks in a recent briefing.
Why it matters
The accelerating Ebola spread threatens thousands of lives and could overwhelm regional health systems.
How this story developed
- Aug 10 WHO finds Congo Ebola surge began months before official declaration
- Aug 11 WHO genetic analysis showed the virus was present in February, months before the May 15 declaration.
- Aug 13 WHO warns the outbreak could exceed the death toll of the 2014‑2016 West African Ebola epidemic.
In this story
Related stories
3 in this thread