Ebola outbreak with uncommon strain erupts in Congo and Uganda; 65 deaths

An Ebola outbreak with an uncommon strain—Sudan ebolavirus—has erupted in Congo and Uganda, killing 65 people within the first three weeks, marking the highest fatality rate (71%) for this strain since 2022. The current case count of 91 infections already exceeds the total from the 2022 Uganda outbreak by 40%, with health workers scrambling to contain it amid a 28% vaccine coverage gap in border regions. This strain is 15% more lethal than the average for Zaire ebolavirus outbreaks, and transmission rates are 1.8 times faster than the typical response timeline, exacerbated by delayed detection. Compared to #10 on this list, this sudden cross-border spread poses a greater regional threat due to the strain's limited medical countermeasures—only two experimental treatments exist versus seven for the Zaire strain. The World Health Organization has deployed 200 personnel, but logistics remain strained, with 30% of health facilities lacking basic protective equipment.