Ebola Outbreak in Congo Now Third Largest Recorded

Scale of the Outbreak

An outbreak of a rare strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the third largest in history. The outbreak is spreading rapidly, having reached this scale only weeks after it likely began. Current data indicates that deaths have reached 177, with nearly 750 cases reported.

Recent reports indicate that the number of Ebola cases in the region hit a record for the most reported in a single day. The World Health Organization (WHO) has responded to the escalation by upgrading the risk level to "very high" at the national level. The head of the WHO stated that the virus is "spreading rapidly".

International Health Response

Following the WHO's declaration of a global health emergency, several nations have implemented border controls. The United States has restricted entry for individuals who have visited three African countries.

Canada has also increased its health screening measures at its borders. According to the country's chief public health officer, these enhanced measures were introduced in response to the spread of the outbreak in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Medical Impacts and Cases

Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a zoonotic viral hemorrhagic fever that affects humans and other primates. It is caused by four of the six known ebolaviruses.

Among those affected is an American doctor who contracted the virus while in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to his missionary group, the doctor was flown to Germany for treatment and remains "critically ill".