{
  "id": 731432,
  "title": "Congo’s Ebola outbreak on track to surpass deadliest in history, WHO chief says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/congos-ebola-outbreak-on-track-to-surpass-deadliest-in-history-who",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-13T04:30:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "http://www.euronews.com/2026/08/13/congos-ebola-outbreak-on-track-to-surpass-deadliest-in-history-who-chief-says"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on track to surpass the deadliest outbreak in history, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The outbreak, which was declared on May 15, has already seen at least 4,300 cases and caused more than 2,000 deaths, and at its current pace, it is expected to eclipse the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014-2016, which killed at least 11,000 people, as stated by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.\n\nThe outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has no approved vaccine or recognised therapeutic drugs. According to the WHO Africa director, Dr Mohamed Janabi, the virus started spreading in February and was initially misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid. The epidemic is spreading faster than any previous Ebola outbreak, with new cases and deaths being reported in communities outside the reach of health workers in a remote part of eastern Congo.\n\nThe WHO hopes to reverse the spread of the disease within three months, but warned that this means bringing transmission under control, not ending the outbreak entirely. The organisation's head of emergency response division, Abdirahman Mahamud, said that if all aspects of the response are implemented at the same time across the five transmission zones, they are expecting a turnaround in three months.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 11,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "This Ebola outbreak has claimed over 2,000 lives. Here’s why it is so hard to contain",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/this-ebola-outbreak-has-claimed-over-2-000-lives-heres-why-it-is-so",
        "published": "2026-08-11T14:19:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Associated Press",
        "title": "This Ebola outbreak has claimed over 2,000 lives. Here’s why it is so hard to contain",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/this-ebola-outbreak-has-claimed-over-2-000-lives-heres-why-it-is-so-576128",
        "published": "2026-08-11T14:23:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Mainichi",
        "title": "This Ebola outbreak has claimed over 2,000 lives. Here's why it is so hard to contain",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/this-ebola-outbreak-has-claimed-over-2-000-lives-heres-why-it-is-so",
        "published": "2026-08-12T00:30:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "New transmission from animals likely caused Congo-Uganda Ebola outbreak, study says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/new-transmission-from-animals-likely-caused-congo-uganda-ebola",
        "published": "2026-08-12T04:21:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Mongabay",
        "title": "As DRC confronts largest Ebola outbreak, health agencies revise strategy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/as-drc-confronts-largest-ebola-outbreak-health-agencies-revise",
        "published": "2026-08-12T11:11:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "DR Congo Ebola outbreak set to become deadliest on record, WHO warns",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/dr-congo-ebola-outbreak-set-to-become-deadliest-on-record-who-warns",
        "published": "2026-08-12T18:23:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Qatar Tribune",
        "title": "WHO warns of a record-breaking Ebola outbreak in the Congo",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/who-warns-of-a-record-breaking-ebola-outbreak-in-the-congo",
        "published": "2026-08-12T21:00:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "WHO aims to reverse DR Congo Ebola outbreak in 3 months",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/who-aims-to-reverse-dr-congo-ebola-outbreak-in-3-months",
        "published": "2026-08-12T21:08:45.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC World",
        "title": "Ebola outbreak on track to be deadliest ever, WHO chief says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/ebola-outbreak-on-track-to-be-deadliest-ever-who-chief-says",
        "published": "2026-08-13T01:31:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "People Daily Kenya",
        "title": "Ebola outbreak on track to be deadliest ever, WHO chief says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/ebola-outbreak-on-track-to-be-deadliest-ever-who-chief-says-746337",
        "published": "2026-08-13T07:39:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}