U.N. Worker Infected as Ebola Crisis in Democratic Republic of Congo Continues

The head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced last week that a U.N. employee based in Beni tested positive for Ebola. This is the first such incident during the current outbreak, which began August 1 and is the tenth Ebola outbreak in the country.

Response to the current outbreak is challenged by more than 100 armed opposition groups in the North Kivu region, where over 1 million people are displaced. The rate of new Ebola cases reported has more than doubled since September. Health officials are concerned with the case increase, but also think it might be a sign that locals are no longer hiding suspected Ebola cases and are actively seeking treatment.

Read more about the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC here.