{
  "id": 2380468,
  "title": "Ebola spreading exponentially in Congo as death toll tops 2,500: UN",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/ebola-spreading-exponentially-in-congo-as-death-toll-tops-2-500-un-2380468",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-21T13:27:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20260821/ebola-spreading-exponentially-in-congo-as-death-toll-tops-2500-un"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed over 2,500 lives, according to the UN's senior Ebola coordinator. The disease is spreading rapidly in an area larger than France, according to senior UN Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis. Harneis made these remarks during a video call from the northeastern Congolese city of Bunia. The UN Ebola coordinator is urgently calling for more aid, warning that the existing pool of funds will likely be depleted within weeks. Health workers in the region are facing attacks from locals, who are gripped by fear and anger over the outbreak. These attacks have resulted in some health workers falling ill or succumbing to the disease themselves. The 17th Ebola epidemic in Congo, the largest in the country's history, surpassed the previous worst outbreak in 2018-2020 in terms of case numbers. It is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments. Harneis emphasized that the Ebola outbreak is growing exponentially, spreading to an area larger than France and accelerating faster than the existing Ebola response.",
  "summary": "More than 2,500 people have now died in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak, which is spreading exponentially in an area larger than France, senior United Nations Ebola coordinator Julien Harneis said on Friday. Speaking on a video call from the northeastern Congolese city of Bunia, Harneis called for more aid, saying an existing pool of funds is set to run out within weeks. Health…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Ebola spreading exponentially in Congo as death toll tops 2,500: UN",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/21/ebola-spreading-exponentially-in-congo-as-death-toll-tops-2-500-un",
        "published": "2026-08-21T12:32:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}