Ebola cases in DRC rise to 676 as Kenya protests erupt over US plans

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to escalate, with officials reporting a total of 676 confirmed cases and 136 fatalities as of June 11. Additionally, there are 119 suspected cases, while neighboring Uganda has documented 19 confirmed infections and two deaths linked to the outbreak. This outbreak, attributed to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebolavirus, marks the third-largest in history. Health professionals express deep concern that the situation may worsen, as the virus had reportedly been circulating undetected for months prior to the announcement of the outbreak on May 15. Investigators from the DRC's health ministry are delving into the origins of the outbreak, focusing on a potential early superspreader event that took place on February 4. Their investigation has led them to a funeral in the remote gold-mining town of Mongbwalu, where a pastor, who died from a severe abdominal infection—a condition that may have been symptomatic of Ebola—was buried. Tragically, he was never diagnosed with the virus. Attended by over 80 individuals, the funeral sparked a wave of illness in the community, with many attendees developing symptoms reminiscent of Ebola, such as fever, vomiting, and bleeding. Within two weeks of the burial, nearly 50 deaths were recorded, raising alarm among health officials. In response to the ongoing crisis, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released projections indicating that, without immediate and effective public health measures—such as contact tracing and isolation of cases—the outbreak could escalate to levels comparable to the devastating 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which resulted in over 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths.