The World Health Organization Said the Ebola Outbreak Declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 15 Has Exceeded Current Response

It is the largest outbreak the country has faced. Moorthy said more funding and resources are needed to expand treatment capacity, field research teams, safe burial teams, and community health workers, with efforts focused on areas where the virus is spreading or likely to spread. He noted there is no proven treatment, vaccine, or preventive drug for Ebola, but early access to healthcare can save lives.

Ebola, which causes a type of hemorrhagic fever, first emerged in 1976 in simultaneous outbreaks in Nzara, Sudan, and Yambuku village in the DRC, named after the Ebola River near the village. The virus spread in West Africa in December 2013; the 2014-2017 outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone infected 30,000 people and killed over 11,000. The DRC declared the outbreak on May 15 after 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths were reported in Ituri province in the east. Health officials say the current outbreak stems from the rare "Bundibugyo" Ebola variant, which has no approved treatment or vaccine.