The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has escalated significantly, with the total number of confirmed infections reaching 2,267 and the death toll climbing to 893, foreign media reported via official data, AzerNEWS reports.
The latest statistics reveal a sharp 24-hour surge, tracking 86 new infections and 29 additional deaths.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that this has quickly become the third-largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history, noting that the virus has spread at a faster initial rate than any previous epidemic.
The WHO chief highlighted the alarming speed of the current crisis. During the country’s previous major Ebola outbreak, it took more than 10 months to reach the 2,000-case threshold. That devastating epidemic eventually resulted in approximately 3,500 total cases and claimed 2,300 lives. Health officials are working intensely to contain the current transmission vectors as global agencies call for immediate response funding and resources.