DR Congo Ebola outbreak tops 1,000 cases, kills 254

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Volunteers of the Democratic Republic of Congo Red Cross wearing personal protective equipment carry the casket containing the body of an Ebola virus disease victim at the morgue of the Rwampara health centre, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on June 8, 2026 before loading it into a vehicle for transfer to a cemetery as part of safe and dignified burial operations aimed at preventing the spread of the virus. The head of the World Health Organization visited Uganda on Monday and praised its efforts to limit the spread of an Ebola outbreak from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO has declared an international health emergency over the outbreak which has caused 515 confirmed infections in the DRC, including 91 deaths, since it was announced on May 15 in northeastern DRC. Uganda has recorded 19 cases and two deaths. All but five have been Congolese nationals who crossed the border. (Photo by Jospin Mwisha / AFP)

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More than 1,000 Ebola infections have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the latest outbreak has killed more than 250 people, official figures showed Monday.

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The country’s National Institute of Public Health (INSP) confirmed 1,003 cases and 254 deaths, with a fatality rate of 25 percent.

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The latest outbreak of the deadly haemorrhagic fever was declared on May 15.

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Almost all cases are in Ituri province in the northeast, a conflict-weary region plagued by armed groups.

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In total, three provinces have been affected: Ituri, neighbouring North Kivu and South Kivu, home to around 15 million people.

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The virus has also spread to neighbouring Uganda, where the World Health Organization has recorded 20 cases and two deaths, though Kampala said the situation was “under control” earlier this month.

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The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment.

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Existing Ebola vaccines, developed between 2018 and 2019, are only effective against the Zaire strain, which caused previous major outbreaks.

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The World Health Organization has declared an international public health emergency, warning the outbreak could last months.

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“The outbreak was declared around two months after the first suspected deaths were reported… During that time, the disease spread unchecked in ways we still don’t fully understand,” an international aid group representative told AFP, speaking anonymously.

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AFP

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