Africa CDC Chief Warns of Global Ebola Threat as DRC Outbreak Surpasses 10,000 Cases
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has exceeded 10,000 confirmed cases and 5,000 deaths, prompting Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya to call for increased international support. The Bundibugyo strain has spread to Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria, while Canada has committed $8 million to the response and authorized a vaccine clinical trial.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 10,000 confirmed cases and 5,000 deaths, making it the largest-ever outbreak in the country and the second-largest recorded globally, behind only the 2014-2016 West Africa crisis that infected more than 28,000 people across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), warned that "no one is safe" without increased international support to manage the crisis. 
The outbreak was first declared in mid-May, though scientists suspect the Bundibugyo strain had been spreading undetected for months prior. There is currently no approved treatment or vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain, and ongoing conflict and public distrust are complicating containment efforts.
Cases have appeared in neighbouring countries including Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria. Nigeria reported its first Ebola infection in a decade, involving a Ugandan-born woman who was flown to Switzerland for treatment. The cross-border spread raises concerns about further transmission to additional countries and continents.
Canada committed $8 million to the Ebola response in May, including $2 million specifically for Africa CDC surveillance and biosecurity. In late July, Health Canada authorized Moderna to launch a clinical trial of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo virus. Canadian and Congolese scientists have sequenced more than 1,000 genomes of the virus to date, though finite resources for genome sequencing and testing remain strained.
In October, the federal government introduced temporary border measures, including outbreak alerts for Kenya and Nigeria. Scientists continue to call for sustained funding to manage the crisis, which has also led to the displacement of families as health officials work away from home.