Ebola infections top 7,000 in Congo as virus spreads to new province

The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing its worst Ebola outbreak, with over 7,000 cases recorded. According to Congolese authorities, 7,022 cases have been reported since the epidemic began, resulting in 3,398 deaths and 1,671 recoveries.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, has spread to seven provinces, including the recent addition of South Ubangi province, located in the northwest of the country. The virus was first detected in mid-May, although it is believed to have been spreading undetected for weeks prior.

The current outbreak has surpassed the 2018-2020 epidemic, becoming the largest and deadliest in Congo's history. It is now second only to the 2014-2016 West African outbreak. The World Health Organization has noted that shortages of trained staff, operational partners, and funding are hindering efforts to expand the Ebola response.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Times of Israel, Daily Times, Dawn, Free Malaysia Today, New Straits Times — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.