Nearly a month into the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the situation remains grim. As of Thursday, June 11, the DRC has reported 676 confirmed cases and 136 deaths, with 119 suspected cases. Uganda is also reporting 19 confirmed cases and two deaths.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebolavirus, is already the third largest Ebola outbreak on record. But health experts fear that it could grow much larger. The virus had been quietly spreading for months before the official declaration on May 15. The DRC health ministry’s investigators believe they have identified an early superspreader event at a pastor's funeral in Mongbwalu, where over 80 people attended and many fell ill within days.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released modeling that suggests the outbreak could rival or exceed the largest Ebola outbreak on record—the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, which totaled over 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths. The key finding is that swift public health interventions are crucial to prevent a worse scenario.

As the scale of the outbreak becomes clearer, the international community faces heightened pressure to act swiftly. Uganda's government has already raised concerns over US plans for the region, with protests erupting in response.