Congo Ebola Tops 6,000 Cases, 2,911 Dead

Congo's authorities said Monday that the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history has passed 6,000 confirmed cases, with 2,911 deaths.

More than 1,360 people have recovered, which officials called an "encouraging" development.

The World Health Organization says the outbreak in eastern Congo remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic — the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The strain driving this outbreak is the Bundibugyo virus, a rare type of Ebola with no approved vaccine or treatment.

Why It Is Spreading

Congolese authorities say the outbreak is being fueled by insecurity, mass displacement, a health workers' strike and heavy population movement.

Displacement sites are the biggest worry, where residents already live in what authorities described as extremely precarious conditions.

Most cases and deaths are occurring outside the network of monitored contacts — inside communities, where responders are not watching.

Containment measures including limits on public gatherings, social distancing and airport closures have disrupted life across six provinces, hitting hardest in Ituri, a province also ravaged by rebel violence.