Ebola spreading fasterEbola spreading faster than any previous outbreak in DR Congo, WHO warns
Ebola is spreading faster than any previous outbreak in the DR Congo, with the WHO warning that more than 80 percent of new cases are outside known contact lists.
The virus has expanded rapidly over the past month, with the true infection tally possibly double the confirmed 2,073 cases. This unprecedented transmission rate matters because it signals a high risk of wider regional spread if containment efforts fail.
- Ebola first emerged in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the DRC.
- Outbreaks in Uganda are often linked to different viral strains than those in the DRC.
- A vaccine approved in 2019 has significantly reduced Ebola deaths in recent outbreaks.
