Dozens of Ebola deaths in Congo, UN warns of wider spread

June 13, 2026 (PEN) The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded 689 cases of Ebola, including 139 deaths as of last Thursday, while authorities announced the spread of the infection to 3 new health zones and the outbreak reaching Uganda, amid warnings from the World Health Organization that the actual numbers may far exceed official estimates.

The government report issued yesterday, Friday, recorded 17 new infections in just 24 hours, all in Ituri province, the epicenter of the first cases.

The infections are related to the rare "Bundibugyo" strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved treatment or vaccine.

In this context, World Health Organization epidemiologist Olivier Le Bouligne warned of "shadowy spots" in high-risk areas of eastern Congo, stressing the urgent need to strengthen health surveillance.

He pointed out that the most prominent challenge is the shortage of isolation beds, as there are no more than 250 beds in the three affected health districts.

According to medics, the outbreak went undetected for weeks, while the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated it could reach the level of the West African epidemic between 2014 and 2016, which killed more than 11,000 people, according to France 24.