May 19 · evening
A deadly Ebola outbreak is moving faster than health authorities can contain it in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, raising alarm about the virus's spread across central Africa. The WHO has declared a global health emergency as suspected cases mount—possibly far higher than the 134 confirmed deaths reported so far. Congo's health minister has acknowledged that medical teams are playing catch-up, slow to detect the virus in a region already destabilized by conflict. Experts warn the actual toll may be substantially higher than official figures suggest, and the challenge of containing a rare strain in an active conflict zone remains severe.
May 19 · morning
A rare strain of Ebola is spreading faster than authorities feared across central Africa, with the World Health Organization warning that hundreds of suspected cases may represent just the tip of a far larger outbreak. The Bundibugyo virus variant has killed at least 130 people in Congo and Uganda, but experts are concerned the actual toll could be substantially higher in a region already strained by conflict and limited surveillance. The WHO has declared a global health emergency as new treatment centers open and fears mount about potential transmission to neighboring countries.
May 18 · evening
The health emergency in the Democratic Republic of Congo is deepening. The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak a global health emergency, with official death tolls now exceeding 100 and rising. The strain involved is particularly rare and the affected region is ravaged by conflict, hampering containment efforts. Congo has begun opening additional treatment centers, but the trajectory suggests the crisis will worsen before it improves.
May 18 · morning
A health emergency is unfolding across central Africa as the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency over an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Nearly 250 suspected cases have been reported, with death tolls climbing toward nearly 90, and the situation has taken on a distinctly American dimension: at least six Americans have been exposed to the virus during the outbreak, and one of them is already showing symptoms. The scale and speed of the contagion have alarmed global health authorities, who note that funding cuts to research and hesitation around vaccines have left the world unprepared for swift response.
May 17 · evening
The World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a global health emergency, though the agency stopped short of labeling it a pandemic-level crisis. The outbreak, centered in northeastern provinces, has claimed approximately eighty deaths among roughly two hundred forty-six suspected cases. Health authorities are struggling to contain spread as the humanitarian situation in the region deteriorates. Meanwhile, a hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship has prompted Canadian health authorities to track dozens of passengers who disembarked after an initial death was confirmed, with at least one Canadian testing positive for the virus.
May 17 · morning
The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a global health emergency, marking a significant escalation in response to the rare Bundibugyo strain that has claimed at least eighty deaths across the region and spread to neighboring Uganda. While the outbreak's scale—around 246 cases with 80 deaths—does not yet meet the threshold for a pandemic declaration, the WHO's action signals serious international concern about transmission potential and the need for coordinated containment efforts.
May 16 · morning
A new Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has now killed eighty people, with around 246 cases recorded and at least one confirmed in neighboring Uganda, raising fears of a wider regional spread. Meanwhile, climate scientists are sounding alarms about a growing chance of a very strong El Niño that could push global temperatures to record levels — a warning that arrives as the world is still processing the consequences of the last major cycle.
May 15 · morning
Across the Atlantic, a deadly Ebola outbreak is spreading in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where at least 65 people have died among roughly 246 reported cases according to Africa's top health agency. The resurgence of the virus comes as the region continues to grapple with broader humanitarian challenges, including ongoing conflict in cities like Uvira, where rebel fighters and Rwandan troops are accused of committing atrocities following the city's capture in December.