WHO says Ebola outbreak in DR Congo remains uncontrolled as weekly cases hit record

GENEVA — The World Health Organization said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has continued to worsen despite weeks of response efforts, with 567 new cases and 296 deaths recorded last week. The weekly figures mark the highest single-week totals since the outbreak began. Laboratory-confirmed cases have reached 3,605, with 1,587 deaths and 651 recoveries, according to the UN health agency. The current outbreak has already surpassed the country's previous largest epidemic in 2018–2020, which recorded 3,317 confirmed cases. The WHO said part of the rise in reported cases reflects improved surveillance and laboratory testing, but that most of the increase signals the continued expansion of the outbreak. Only about 80 percent of contacts of confirmed patients are being monitored for the required three weeks, short of the 95 percent threshold needed to control transmission. The virus spreads through close contact with bodily fluids, often during funerals of those who have died from the disease. No further details on additional response measures were immediately available.