Ongoing Ebola Outbreak in DRC Becomes Country's Worst Ever

On August 1, 2018, an Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is still ongoing. There have been 366 reported cases, and 167 confirmed deaths so far, making it the worst outbreak the country has experienced. 

Cases began in a town of about 40,000 called Mangina and then moved to a bigger city called Beni, home to about 420,000 people. A city of one million, Butembo, has now started to report new cases weekly.

What is especially worrisome to investigators is that some cases are not following previously known chains of transmission. The region is densely populated, and residents face high levels of danger and insecurity; an estimated 100 armed groups are active in the area, hampering efforts to stem the transmission of the disease. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is working with local authorities to get the outbreak under control. Learn more from the video.

Source: MSF