Nurse killed in Tshopo attack as Ebola cases top 9,800

A nurse was killed and a second health worker was seriously injured in an attack in Bafwasende, a town in the eastern province of Tshopo, the World Health Organization reported. The incident occurred on Saturday while the two workers were responding to an Ebola alert. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced the death on Sunday via the social media platform X. He stated that everyone protecting communities from the disease must be able to work in dignity and safety.

Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, the regional director for Africa at the WHO, also condemned the violence. He posted that health is not a target and that misinformation and fear should not fuel attacks on responders. Local authorities have not yet commented on the specific incident or identified any suspects.

The DRC's Ministry of Health recorded more than 9,800 cases and over 4,700 deaths since the outbreak began in May. These figures make it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country's history. The outbreak is currently the fastest growing in the world. Government handling of the crisis, along with chronic corruption, has increased public distrust. Some residents have dismissed the disease as a hoax, which complicates the work of responders in remote areas and emerging hotspots that already lack supplies and staff.

Violence against health workers has become a recurring pattern in the region. Last month, a politician in North Kivu was beaten to death after using a radio show to defend the government's response and urge public compliance with health measures. In May, angry residents burned tents at two health centers in separate attacks within one week. Responders also report that residents have held team members captive or threatened them in designated health zones.

The outbreak has spread to four countries across eastern, central, and western Africa, the widest geographic spread for an Ebola outbreak on the continent. On Sunday, Uganda's Minister of Health Chris Baryomunsi announced that all citizens returning from the DRC would be quarantined for 21 days. Uganda declared its latest outbreak over in July, but two people who recently passed through the country tested positive in Kenya and Nigeria.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals. The current strain, Bundibugyo, has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The WHO noted that symptoms can take up to 21 days to appear. In an update on October 23, the agency called for stronger monitoring and cross-border cooperation while advising against travel or trade restrictions on affected nations.