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News
Congo's Ebola outbreak — now the second deadliest in history — has topped 7,000 confirmed cases and 3,398 deaths, with the virus reaching a seventh province. A 23-year-old man who traveled from the outbreak's epicenter tested positive in remote South Ubangi, far from the hotzone. Shortages of staff, partners, and funding continue to hamper containment efforts, according to the WHO.
Congo's Ebola outbreak has hit a grim new milestone: over 7,000 confirmed cases and 3,398 deaths, making it the second deadliest Ebola epidemic ever recorded — surpassed only by the 2014–2016 West African outbreak that killed more than 11,000 people. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola (for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments), was formally declared on May 15 and has since spread across seven provinces.
The latest alarm: a case detected in South Ubangi, a remote northwestern province far from the outbreak's epicenter. A 23-year-old man who had traveled from South Kivu province and spent time abroad tested positive after dying on Tuesday — and contact tracing is now underway. Congo has been vaccinating frontline health workers with Merck's Ervebo vaccine (licensed for a different Ebola strain) in hopes of cross-protection, while Bundibugyo-specific vaccines from Oxford and IAVI remain in development.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: The geographic spread to South Ubangi — which borders Congo Republic and the Central African Republic — raises fears of cross-border transmission. With the WHO warning that response efforts remain "below established targets" and funding gaps widening, the world's second-worst Ebola outbreak shows no signs of slowing down.
