{
  "id": 9915327,
  "title": "WHO says Congo Ebola outbreak spreads to two new health zones",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/who-says-congo-ebola-outbreak-spreads-to-two-new-health-zones",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-26T05:26:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
    "slug": "the-hindu-sci-tech",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/who-says-congo-ebola-outbreak-spreads-to-two-new-health-zones/article71511782.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on September 25, 2026 that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has expanded to two additional health zones, bringing the total number of affected zones to 63 across seven provinces. The newly affected areas are Bulu in Sud Ubangi province and Dungu in Haut-Uele province, which borders South Sudan. As of September 23, Congo had confirmed 7,890 cases and 3,799 deaths. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted that conflict and population displacement were hindering health workers' ability to reach affected communities and trace potential virus exposures, compounding the challenge of containing the outbreak. He emphasized that restricted access could result in untraced contacts and increased transmission risks due to displacement and crowding. Despite overall declining cases, contact tracing, safe burials, and community engagement have improved, though transmission remains uneven. The absence of approved vaccines and treatments for the Bundibugyo strain poses additional complications and may discourage individuals from seeking treatment at centers. Tedros stressed the urgency for countries to bolster pandemic preparedness, noting that while Ebola itself is unlikely to become a pandemic, a respiratory pathogen could. He criticized misinformation surrounding the WHO Pandemic Agreement, which the World Health Assembly adopted in May 2025 to enhance global prevention, preparedness, and response to future pandemics. Tedros vehemently denied claims that the agreement cedes sovereignty to the WHO, describing such assertions as untrue.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "WHO reports Ebola outbreak spreads to Bulu and Dungu health zones in Congo",
    "Outbreak now affects 63 zones across seven provinces in Democratic Republic of Congo",
    "Conflict and displacement hinder health workers' ability to contain virus"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Ebola outbreak's expansion to new health zones compounds the challenge of containing it, as conflict and population displacement continue to hinder health workers' ability to reach affected communities.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu Health",
        "title": "WHO says Congo Ebola outbreak spreads to two new health zones",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/who-says-congo-ebola-outbreak-spreads-to-two-new-health-zones-9919157",
        "published": "2026-09-26T05:41:36.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "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."
}