Ebola Reaches New Province in Congo as Outbreak Intensifies
Congo's Ebola outbreak has spread to a sixth province, with a death in Bas-Uele linked to travel from Haut-Uele.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has expanded to a sixth province, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
Jean Kaseya, the agency's director-general, confirmed on Thursday that a person who had traveled from Isiro in Haut-Uele province to Buta, the capital of Bas-Uele, died there. This marks the first recorded case in Bas-Uele, which had previously been unaffected.
The outbreak, already described as the fastest-growing in the country's history, continues to spread across eastern Congo. The World Health Organization has warned that it could surpass the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record, which occurred more than a decade ago and claimed over 11,000 lives.
According to the latest government figures, the current outbreak has infected more than 4,500 people and killed over 2,100. Health authorities are racing to contain the virus as it reaches new areas, raising concerns about the capacity of local health systems to respond effectively.