Summary

The Ebola outbreak in DRC is spreading. According to the latest government numbers released on May 21, there are now 58 recorded cases (28 confirmed, 21 probable, and 9 suspected). Four confirmed cases have been identified in Mbandaka, a city of around a million people.

The first case of this Ebola outbreak was recorded in the rural Bikoro region some 150 km away in early April.

The next two weeks are crucial for stemming the disease’s spread. If health authorities are lucky, they can stop the outbreak before it takes on any serious momentum. If not, they’ll face the prospect of mounting an epidemic response in a country that’s already teetering on the brink of political and economic collapse.