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Ebola outbreak remains out of control in Congo 6 months into response
Six months after Congo declared its Ebola outbreak, it remains uncontrolled, with more than 11,000 cases and nearly half of those infected reported dead. It is the deadliest of the country’s 17 outbreaks and could exceed the 11,000 deaths recorded in West Africa from 2014 to 2016.
The virus has spread to eight of Congo’s 26 provinces, while 80% of new cases are being detected outside health surveillance. Contact tracing and isolation remain inadequate; strikes over unpaid wages and concerns about more than $700 million in aid that remains unaccounted for have further strained the response. Children account for 35% of deaths recorded through 4 November, and cases have also been confirmed in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda.
In short
- Congo’s Ebola outbreak has passed 11,000 cases.
- Nearly half of those infected have died.
- Cases have spread to three other African countries.
Explained simply
Ebola is a severe infectious disease that spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or someone who has died from it. People may pass it on before they are identified by health services, so finding cases and tracing their contacts are important parts of containing an outbreak.
Congo has experienced several Ebola outbreaks, but this one has spread across multiple provinces and caused a particularly high number of deaths. Health workers and public health agencies are responsible for care, testing and tracking the spread; their work can be disrupted when staff are unpaid or communities cannot be reached.
The outbreak matters beyond Congo because infected travellers can carry the virus across borders, and cases have been confirmed in neighbouring countries. Its scale also makes the response, including how aid is used, a concern for governments and organisations working to limit further spread.
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