DR Congo Grounds Flights as Ebola Cases Rise

In an urgent bid to slow Ebola transmission, Kinshasa has grounded every passenger aircraft serving Bunia airport. The decision follows confirmation of a new outbreak centered in Ituri province. Only approved humanitarian, medical, and emergency flights will be allowed after clearance from aviation and health authorities. Since the outbreak was declared less than two weeks ago, laboratories have verified 82 infections and seven deaths. Suspected cases now exceed 750, with suspected fatalities approaching 180. Experts believe these numbers will climb once more field testing reaches remote villages. The dangerous Bundibugyo strain has crossed provincial lines into North and South Kivu and has already caused three fresh infections in Uganda, bringing that country’s total to five. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the regional picture “very concerning.” Limited road access, militia activity, and community mistrust are slowing the response. Health teams are prioritizing rapid isolation of patients, construction of secure treatment units, and accelerated contact tracing rather than waiting for vaccines that could take months to arrive.