Ebola is racing through eastern Congo at a pace that has alarmed health officials, who warn it could become the most devastating outbreak ever recorded. Since the first case was confirmed on May 15, at least 5,605 people have been infected and 2,683 have died, per CDC and Congolese government figures—already surpassing the country's 2018–2022 outbreak and far outpacing the early spread of the 2014-16 West Africa crisis. Experts say those numbers likely miss many cases, with one doctor estimating the real toll could be two to three times higher, the Washington Post reports.
The 2014-2016 crisis was the deadliest ever recorded, with more than 11,000 deaths. The Bundibugyo strain driving the current crisis has no approved vaccine or treatment, and the response has been slowed by funding cuts, thin surveillance, and pervasive misinformation. Health workers describe a virus moving "through so many cracks" as patients die at home, uncounted, while daily life in cities like Bunia continues with crowded churches and parties.
The World Health Organization's director general says officials are still "playing catch-up" against a disease spreading with "unprecedented speed," even as the US government reports more than $512 million in assistance and millions of health screenings across the region. On Friday, Congo received 16,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine used in past outbreaks, though it's not clear how effective it will be against the Bundibugyo strain, the AP reports.
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