世界卫生组织总干事泰德罗斯于8月5日抵达刚果民主共和国首都金沙萨，就该国东部正在加速蔓延的埃博拉疫情发出警告[1]。这场疫情是刚果历史上第17次埃博拉疫情，其传播速度已超过当地应对能力，并成为该国传播最快、死亡人数第二多的疫情[1]。
截至周一，刚果确认病例总数达3874例，其中1751人死亡[1]。患者主要集中在东部伊图里省，约占全部病例的90%[1]。与此同时，至少717名患者已被隔离，749名患者已康复[1]。泰德罗斯表示，在某些疫情热点地区，新增病例数在过去一周内已经翻倍[1]。
疫情的严峻形势进一步体现在诊疗困难上。非洲疾病预防控制中心主任让·卡塞亚警告称，接触者追踪工作失效，越来越多的病例出现诊疗延迟[1]。该病疫原为Bundibugyo型埃博拉病毒，目前尚无获批的治疗方法或疫苗[1]。为支持防控工作，美国国务院承诺向刚果追加拨款2.42亿美元，合约2.1亿欧元[1]。
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus traveled to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on August 5 to address an Ebola crisis spreading faster than containment efforts can manage. [1] The outbreak marks the 17th Ebola epidemic in Congo's history and has become the fastest-spreading and second-deadliest on record. [1] As of Monday, confirmed cases had reached 3,874 with 1,751 deaths, approximately 90 percent concentrated in the eastern Ituri Province. [1]
The epidemic was first declared a public health emergency in mid-March and is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, for which no approved treatment or vaccine currently exists. [1] Tedros warned that in certain outbreak hotspots, new cases had doubled over the preceding week, while at least 717 patients remain in isolation and 749 have recovered. [1] African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Jean Kassea issued a stark warning that contact tracing has broken down, resulting in increasingly delayed diagnoses among patients. [1]
The United States State Department has pledged an additional $242 million (approximately 210 million euros) in funding to support the response. [1]