Ebola has spread from Congo to 4 other countries. A look at where things stand

The Ebola outbreak that began in eastern Congo in mid-May has now spread to four other African countries, marking the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history. As of now, Nigeria is the latest country affected by the outbreak, with a woman who had recently traveled from Uganda becoming the first confirmed case in the country. The woman was diagnosed with Ebola on October 11 after showing symptoms since October 7.

In Uganda, 20 cases were confirmed, all of which were traced back to Congolese patients who had crossed the border to seek treatment for an unknown illness before being diagnosed with Ebola. The country declared its outbreak over on August 27, following 20 confirmed cases, including 15 patients from Congo. Eighteen people recovered, and two died. Over 800 contacts were identified and monitored, but no new cases were reported as of late October.

Kenya also reported its first Ebola case on October 6. The patient, a man who had traveled from Congo via Uganda, tested positive for the disease on October 5 and died the same day. These cases highlight the challenges in controlling the Ebola outbreak, particularly due to lapses in surveillance efforts. Many of the first cases were confirmed long after people started showing symptoms or after they had traveled, making it difficult to contain the spread.