Congo Ebola cases top 2,000 as 80% evade contact tracers
What's new: The death toll reached 754, and WHO says most new infections now come from unknown transmission chains.
Congo's Ebola outbreak has passed 2,000 confirmed cases and 754 deaths, underscoring how quickly the rare Bundibugyo virus is spreading in the country's east. The World Health Organization said about 80% of new cases are emerging from unknown chains of transmission, meaning many patients were never identified as contacts before falling ill. Government data put total confirmed infections at 2,011, with 753 people in isolation or hospital and 366 recoveries. The outbreak, declared May 15, is centered in Ituri but has also spread to Haut-Uele and Tshopo, with cases confirmed in neighboring Uganda. Officials say funding gaps, attacks on health facilities, conflict and community mistrust are slowing the response.