The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading at an alarming rate, with more than 5,200 cases and nearly 2,500 deaths reported as the virus overwhelms health systems and outpaces efforts to contain it.
Julien Harneis, the U.N. senior coordinator for the Ebola response, warned Friday that the epidemic is growing “exponentially,” with roughly half of the deaths recorded in the past 20 days.
“The epidemic is spreading widely,” Harneis told reporters in Geneva from Bunia, the epicenter of the outbreak. “It is growing faster and wider than the Ebola response.”
The outbreak, which has affected 56 health zones across six provinces, is already the largest in Congo’s history. It has spread across Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele and Tshopo, including areas near the border with South Sudan. Cases have also been reported in neighboring Uganda.
The outbreak was officially declared May 15, but health officials believe the virus had been circulating for several weeks before it was detected.
