Congo Ebola Outbreak Passes 11,000 Cases as Kenya Starts 42-Day Countdown to Ebola-Free Status

Congo's Ebola outbreak has reached 11,042 infections and 5,387 deaths, the country's Health Ministry said Wednesday, making it the deadliest outbreak in Congo's history. The Bundibugyo virus, which has no known vaccine or treatment, has spread to eight of Congo's 26 provinces since the outbreak was declared in mid-May. Health Minister Roger Kamba said Ituri accounts for nearly 70% of cases, while North Kivu is the main site of new transmission. Authorities have struggled to contain the disease because of armed conflict, a health system crisis, poor roads and violence by residents driven by mistrust and misinformation. Health workers have been attacked, and more teachers in Ituri have contracted the virus. Health officials are urging a halt to the fighting so workers can reach the sick. The outbreak already ranks second behind West Africa's 2014-2016 epidemic, which had 28,000 infections and more than 11,000 deaths. Separately, Kenya discharged its last Ebola patient and began a 42-day countdown to being declared Ebola-free, provided no new cases appear.

The left-leaning New York Times leads with Kenya's countdown, presenting it as evidence that African countries have mostly prevented community transmission and isolated the few cases that arrived from Congo. Its excerpt carries no Congolese case counts or violence. The right-leaning New York Post, datelined Bunia, leads with the 11,000 mark, calling it a stark figure. It adds Kamba's provincial breakdown, attacks on health workers, school infections and the call for a halt to fighting. Both sides treat Ebola as a regional threat, but the Times stresses containment while the Post stresses severity and instability inside Congo. Alternative outlets split: BBC News mirrors the Times' Kenya milestone, while The Hindu runs the same Congo figures as the Post and adds the West Africa comparison.