Ebola outbreak in DRC spreads to sixth province as death toll climbs

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to a sixth province, with a man dying in Bas-Uele after traveling from Haut-Uele. The WHO chief warned the outbreak could become the deadliest ever, surpassing the 2014-16 epidemic that killed over 11,000 people. Africa CDC director Jean Kaseya confirmed the man traveled from Isiro to Buta, where he died. The rare Bundibugyo virus has killed over 2,100 of more than 4,500 cases, with no approved vaccines or treatments. The death toll has risen almost three times faster than the previous record outbreak. The outbreak, declared in May but traced to February, is complicated by health worker strikes, rebel threats, and misinformation. Sixty to seventy percent of new cases occur outside monitored contacts, with WHO officials saying the virus is spreading faster than response efforts. Clinical trials for treatments began last month.