Ebola infections top 7,000 in Congo as virus spreads to new province

Key facts

• Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have reached 7,022.
• The death toll from the outbreak has risen to 3,398.
• The virus has spread to seven provinces.
• An Ebola case was detected in South Ubangi province.
• The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola.
• Shortages of trained staff, operational partners, and funding are hindering the Ebola response.

The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 7,000, with the virus spreading to a new province, according to government data released on Friday. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, has become the largest and deadliest in Congo's history, surpassing the 2018-2020 epidemic. It is now second only to the 2014-2016 West African outbreak, which infected over 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

Government figures indicated that the death toll had risen to 3,398, while confirmed cases reached 7,022 across seven provinces. Officials confirmed earlier on Friday that an Ebola case had been detected in South Ubangi province, located in the northwest of the country, far from the outbreak's epicenter. The World Health Organization has noted that shortages of trained staff, operational partners, and funding are creating a bottleneck in efforts to expand the Ebola response.