The Democratic Republic of Congo is now battling the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country, with infections spreading across five provinces despite extensive response efforts, according to Bloomberg.
As of July 30, a total of 3,605 cases and 1,587 deaths had been recorded, the World Health Organization announced, representing a 13% increase from the previous week. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has surpassed the devastating 2018-2020 epidemic that had previously been the country’s largest.
In the most recent week alone, health authorities recorded 567 new confirmed cases and 296 deaths, the highest weekly figures since the outbreak began. The WHO said the continued rise in cases, geographic spread, and consistently high mortality rates underscored the rapidly evolving nature of the public health emergency.
Neighboring Uganda declared an end to its own Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak on July 28, after 42 days without a case of local transmission. The WHO noted that Uganda remains vulnerable to imported cases given ongoing transmission in eastern Congo, and called on African nations to maintain heightened surveillance and preparedness measures.
