Overview
- DR Congo reported 1,307 confirmed Ebola cases and 377 deaths in its latest update on June 30, showing rapid growth since the outbreak was declared in mid‑May.
- Health teams have begun contact tracing in Tshopo and Haut‑Uele after a morgue sample in Kisangani tested positive and contacts of confirmed cases moved between provinces.
- The interior ministry banned public gatherings in Kinshasa, Tshopo, Haut‑Uele and Bas‑Uele on June 27, a step opposition groups say is being used to block a planned July 8 protest.
- The outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo strain for which there is no licensed vaccine or proven treatment, forcing reliance on detection, isolation, supportive care and experimental trials.
- Response efforts are strained by attacks on health teams, community mistrust and weak contact tracing, and the UN warns unchecked spread could cost Africa up to $3.6 billion and put hundreds of thousands of jobs at risk.