Congo's Ebola outbreak spreads to new health zones

Key facts

• Congo's Ebola outbreak has spread to three new health zones in North Kivu and Ituri.
• The total number of confirmed cases has reached 676.
• There have been 136 confirmed deaths.
• Two Ebola-related deaths were confirmed in the Kpangba displacement camp, which hosts 30,000 refugees.
• The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine.
• The disease has also spread to neighboring Uganda, reporting 19 cases.

Congo's Ebola outbreak has expanded to three new health zones, with 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths as of Wednesday. The virus has now spread across three provinces—Ituri, South Kivu, and North Kivu—which have been devastated by decades of conflict and house over 5 million displaced people.

Two Ebola-related deaths were confirmed in the Kpangba displacement camp, which hosts 30,000 refugees. Aid workers expressed concern about the high risk of rapid transmission in the crowded camp, citing cramped conditions with poor hygiene facilities. The two victims were a mother and daughter who died on May 31 and June 1, and were tested for Ebola by the World Health Organization after their deaths.

The outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine. The disease went undetected for weeks, and first responders are working to catch up. The outbreak has also spread to neighboring Uganda, which has reported 19 cases.