More than 10,000 people have been infected with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo's largest outbreak on record, with 4,887 deaths across eight provinces since mid-May, local health officials said. The outbreak is the second largest globally and the fastest growing in DRC history. Late last week, a nurse was killed and a health worker severely injured while responding to an Ebola alert in Tshopo province, an attack condemned by the World Health Organization.
More than 2,700 of those infected are children, and hundreds have died, according to non-profit organisation Save the Children. Its DRC director, Greg Ramm, said the grim milestone was a "stark reminder of the scale of this crisis".
"Behind this milestone are thousands of families facing unimaginable fear and uncertainty, and children are bearing some of the heaviest consequences," Mr Ramm said. He added that the outbreak was unfolding in communities already affected by conflict, displacement and food insecurity.
Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks, this one involves the rarer Bundibugyo Ebola virus, which did not show up on available testing kits for weeks and has no available vaccine, the ABC reported.
Earlier this month, Kenya and Nigeria reported their first cases linked to the outbreak. A patient in Nigeria, the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat, was flown to Switzerland for treatment. Kenyan officials reported their second Bundibugyo death on Tuesday, with almost 100 close contacts of other cases in quarantine.
In response, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has scheduled a high-level virtual meeting of African ministers of health on Wednesday. Africa CDC director-general Jean Kaseya said their response "must move faster".
"Ebola is crossing borders," Dr Kaseya said. "We have the expertise and the capacity on this continent. We must mobilise them together to stop this outbreak and save lives."
Neighbouring Uganda has banned all non-essential travel to and from the DRC, and its returning citizens will be ordered to quarantine for 21 days.
The attack on health workers was announced by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who posted on X: "Everyone working to protect communities from this deadly disease must be able to work in dignity and safety." WHO regional director for Africa Mohamed Janabi also condemned the attack, saying: "Those responding to the Ebola outbreak must be protected. Misinformation and fear must never fuel violence."
The DRC's eastern region, the epicentre, is one of the most unstable areas in the world, with those on the ground reporting violence, threats and conspiracy theories while trying to contain the disease.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The outbreak has become the second largest globally and fastest growing in DRC history, straining health systems in a region already affected by conflict, displacement and food insecurity.
- The involvement of the rarer Bundibugyo virus, which has no vaccine and evaded detection for weeks, complicates containment and raises risks of wider spread.
- Attacks on health workers threaten response efforts, and cross-border cases in Kenya and Nigeria show the virus is moving beyond the DRC.
Background
The DRC's eastern region has been the epicentre of multiple Ebola outbreaks. The current outbreak, declared in mid-May, is the country's largest, with cases across 28 of 36 health zones in that region. The Bundibugyo strain is less common than the Zaire strain and has no licensed vaccine, slowing initial detection. Neighbouring countries have imposed travel restrictions and quarantines.
Key Perspectives
Greg Ramm, Save the Children DRC director: Said the milestone was a "stark reminder of the scale of this crisis" and that children were bearing some of the heaviest consequences.
Dr Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC director-general: Said the response "must move faster" and called for mobilising expertise and capacity on the continent.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general: Called for health workers to be able to work in dignity and safety.
Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa: Condemned the attack on health workers and said misinformation and fear must not fuel violence.
What to Watch
- The outcome of Wednesday's Africa CDC virtual meeting of African health ministers and any coordinated regional measures.
- Whether further cross-border cases emerge in neighbouring countries, particularly Uganda after its travel ban and quarantine order.
- The security situation for health workers in eastern DRC and any escalation of attacks or violence.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe outbreak has passed 10,000 cases.Just In: “More than 10,000 people have been infected with Ebola virus”
- SupportedThis is the DRC’s largest Ebola outbreak on record.Just In: “in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) largest outbreak on record.”
- SupportedA nurse was killed in an attack while responding to an Ebola alert in Tshopo province.Just In: “Late last week, a nurse was killed and a health worker severely injured while responding to an Ebola alert in the DRC's Tshopo province.”
- SupportedGreg Ramm called the milestone a “stark reminder of the scale of this crisis”.Just In: “Greg Ramm, said the grim milestone was a "stark reminder of the scale of this crisis".”
- SupportedGreg Ramm said: “Behind this milestone are thousands of families facing unimaginable fear and uncertainty, and children are bearing some of the heaviest consequences.”Just In: “"Behind this milestone are thousands of families facing unimaginable fear and uncertainty, and children are bearing some of the heaviest consequences," he said.”
- SupportedJean Kaseya said the response “must move faster” and said: “Ebola is crossing borders. We have the expertise and the capacity on this continent. We must mobilise them together to stop this outbreak and save lives.”Just In: “said their response "must move faster". "Ebola is crossing borders," Dr Kaseya said. "We have the expertise and the capacity on this continent. We must mobilise them together to stop this outbreak and save lives."”
- SupportedTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Everyone working to protect communities from this deadly disease must be able to work in dignity and safety.”Just In: “"Everyone working to protect communities from this deadly disease must be able to work in dignity and safety," he said in a post on X.”
- SupportedMohamed Janabi said: “Those responding to the Ebola outbreak must be protected. Misinformation and fear must never fuel violence.”Just In: “"Those responding to the Ebola outbreak must be protected," Professor Janabi said. "Misinformation and fear must never fuel violence."”
- Partly supportedLocal health officials said more than 10,000 people had been infected and 4,887 had died.Just In: “There have been 4,887 deaths across eight provinces in the DRC since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. It is now the second largest Ebola virus outbreak globally, and the fastest growing in the DRC's history, according to local health officials.”
- SupportedThere have been 4,887 deaths across eight provinces since mid-May.Just In: “There have been 4,887 deaths across eight provinces in the DRC since the outbreak was declared in mid-May.”
- SupportedThe outbreak is the second largest globally.Just In: “It is now the second largest Ebola virus outbreak globally”
- SupportedThere is no available vaccine for the rare Bundibugyo Ebola virus.Just In: “Bundibugyo did not show up on available Ebola testing kits for weeks, and there is no available vaccine for it.”