DRC Ebola Outbreak Expands to Sixth Province as WHO Warns of Record Toll

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to Bas-Uele, the sixth province, with more than 2,100 deaths and 4,500 cases; the WHO cautions the outbreak could surpass the 2014–16 West Africa epidemic, noting the virus appears fast-moving and spreading beyond monitored contacts. There are no approved vaccines or treatments for Bundibugyo virus, and misinformation and unpaid health-worker strikes complicate response efforts. About 60–70% of new cases are outside monitored contacts, while two treatments are in clinical trials in Ituri as the outbreak—declared in May—likely began earlier, in February, and now affects six provinces.