DRC Ebola Outbreak Tops 9,800 Cases as Nurse Killed in Attack

More than 9,800 people have tested positive for Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since May, according to figures from the DRC Ministry of Health. Over 4,700 of those cases have resulted in death, making this the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the nation's recorded history.

The World Health Organization announced on Sunday that a nurse was killed and another health worker was seriously injured during an attack on Saturday. The violence occurred in Bafwasende, a town in the eastern province of Tshopo, while the medical team was responding to an Ebola alert. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus posted about the incident on X, stating that everyone working to protect communities must be able to do so in dignity and safety.

Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the WHO regional director for Africa, also condemned the violence on social media. He described health as not being a target and noted that misinformation and fear should not fuel attacks on responders. Local authorities have not yet commented on the specific incident or identified any suspects.

Officials say these attacks are slowing efforts to contain what is described as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in the world. Government handling of the crisis and chronic corruption have created widespread distrust, with some residents dismissing the disease as a hoax. Responders report that this skepticism complicates their work in remote areas and emerging hotspots that lack medical supplies and staff.

The current violence follows a pattern of earlier incidents. Last month, a politician was beaten to death in North Kivu after defending the government's response on a radio show. In May, residents set fire to tents at two health centers within a single week. Some team members have also been held captive or threatened in designated health zones.

The outbreak has now spread to four countries across eastern, central, and western Africa. On Sunday, Uganda's Minister of Health Chris Baryomunsi announced that all citizens returning from the DRC would be quarantined for 21 days. Uganda had declared its previous outbreak over in July, but two people who recently passed through the country later tested positive in Kenya and Nigeria.

The strain behind the current outbreak is Bundibugyo, which has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The WHO states that symptoms can take up to 21 days to appear. In an October 23 update, the agency called for stronger monitoring and cross-border cooperation while advising against travel or trade restrictions.