Ebola outbreak in DRC tops 10,000 cases, spreads to Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda
The Democratic Republic of Congo's health authorities reported more than 10,000 confirmed Ebola infections and nearly 5,000 deaths, noting that the virus has spread to Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda. Earlier, Nigeria's health minister announced that a 42-year-old diplomat’s wife who had returned from Kampala tested positive, and that 44 contacts were being monitored. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the Bundibugyo strain is now present across central, eastern and western Africa and advised against border closures.
Nigerian health officials said they are still investigating how the patient contracted the disease. The outbreak, which began in the DRC, had already surpassed 9,400 cases and 4,500 deaths, with imported cases confirmed in Nigeria and Kenya, underscoring cross-border transmission risks. Health authorities also began a vaccine trial in the hardest-hit region of the DRC.
