DRC Ebola outbreak and food security crisis

Ebola outbreak deepens food crisis in DRC, WFP warns

An Ebola outbreak was declared in the DRC following suspected cases and deaths in Ituri province.

On May 15, an Ebola outbreak was officially declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This declaration followed reports of 246 suspected cases and 65 deaths in the Ituri province.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo variant, a rare strain for which no approved treatment or vaccine currently exists. The virus was first identified in earlier outbreaks dating back to 1976.

The Ebola virus first emerged in simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan and the DRC.

The Ebola virus first emerged in 1976 during simultaneous outbreaks in Sudan's Nzara town and the Yambuku village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The disease takes its name from the Ebola River, which is located near the village in the DRC where the initial cases were identified.

A major Ebola outbreak occurred in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

The Ebola outbreak that occurred in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone between 2014 and 2017 infected approximately 30,000 people and resulted in over 11,000 deaths, according to reports.