The outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, specifically the Bundibugyo virus disease, has already caused 91 deaths in the country. The latest data from the World Health Organization, released on June 6, shows there have been 515 confirmed cases in the country and 19 in neighboring Uganda, which has seen at least two deaths.
Isabel Brosius, an infectious disease specialist from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, is in DR Congo. She told DW that the outbreak is devastating a country that has been wracked by conflict on its eastern flank and a number of other significant public health threats.
"Ebola can be a very scary disease. So definitely when this happens in a population that is not always super health literate, that's a very scary thing. People start to wonder why is this happening or what caused it. And then if you have a deep rooted mistrust in government or other actors and fake news or messages, it just adds on to the general sense of insecurity."
Has Ebola affected the World Cup yet?
DR Congo qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 52 years back in April but their preparations for their opener against Portugal on June 17 have been impacted by the Ebola outbreak.
