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DRC reports record number of Ebola cases in a single day as outbreak hits 1-month mark

Viviane Nzale, a health worker responsible for triage, stands at a screening post at the entrance of Mongbwalu General Hospital while monitoring patients and visitors entering the facility as they respond to the continuing Ebola outbreak here on June 12, 2026 in Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of Congo. (Michel Lunanga/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) — Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have reported a record one-day increase in Ebola cases since the current outbreak was first detected one month ago.

The DRC Ministry of Health reported 72 new confirmed Ebola cases on June 13, bringing the total number of cases to 782. Additionally, 29 deaths were recorded, bringing to 181 the number of fatalities that have occurred in the last month.

The majority of cases are still concentrated in three provinces in the northeast part of the country: Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. Two new health zones, Nia-Nia in Ituri and Mabalako in North Kivu, reported cases for the first time, increasing the number of affected health zones to 31, according to the Ministry of Health.

Contact tracing remains a concern. Health officials said only 56.5% of identified contacts have been followed up on, far below the desired 90%-95% target needed to contain the outbreak, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

DRC health officials say they’re still experiencing community hesitance as well as shortages of essential medicines and infection-control supplies.

Meanwhile, Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases, in large part linked to cross-border transmission from the DRC, and two deaths, according to the World Health Organization.

Last week, United Nations agencies warned that children in the eastern DRC could become increasingly affected by the Ebola outbreak. The U.N. said it may be difficult to accurately track the number of children who may be affected by the outbreak due to inefficient surveillance.

Although most infections have been among adults, “as the outbreak evolves, we must be prepared for increasing household transmission which means we may see more children affected in the days ahead,” Dr. Douglas Noble, UNICEF global lead for public health emergencies and global incident manager for Ebola, said on Friday.

“These are already very vulnerable children, so the capacity for this community to absorb any additional stressors was already stretched to breaking point,” he said.

In past Ebola outbreaks in the DRC, children “made up a significant share of cases and an even greater share of deaths, with the youngest facing the highest fatality rates and many left orphaned or separated from caregivers,” Noble said.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department recently announced plans to provide $50 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which describes itself as “a global partnership working to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats,” to help develop vaccines and treatments against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola that’s driving the current outbreak.

The State Department further said it has committed more than $270 million directly to the Ebola response, with U.S.-funded partners screening more than 6,300 people in Ituri, supporting 100 health facilities and carrying out 200 safe burials.

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Gossip blogger Perez Hilton appeared to harm himself on a livestream. His audience called the police

By CNN
(CNN) — Police responded Tuesday night to the Florida home of Perez Hilton after receiving reports the celebrity gossip blogger appeared to be harming himself on a TikTok livestream.In response to a question about Hilton’s livestream, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said they had “received multiple calls regarding an individual who was livestreaming acts of self-harm on social media.”“Deputies quickly located the individual’s residence, where they spoke with family members on scene, and confirmed he was alone inside,” the sheriff’s office said, adding they worked to de-escalate the situation.In the livestream, which was later taken down, Hilton appeared to be engaging in self-harm. Multiple social media users commented, urging him to stop.The sheriff’s office told CNN that the individual was “safely recovered” and transported to a local hospital, where he is receiving medical attention.On Wednesday, a statement went up on Perez Hilton’s website confirming that Hilton was receiving medical care. “Many of you have reached out with concern for Perez, and we are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of love, support, and prayers,” the statement read. “We can confirm that Perez is receiving medical care, and our family’s focus right now is on his well-being.” They went on to ask for privacy at the time.The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Crisis Response Unit and licensed mental health professionals provided support and resources to the individual’s family, the sheriff’s office said.“In many incidents involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis or actively harming themselves, deputies prioritize de-escalation by creating time, distance, and opportunities for communication,” the sheriff’s office said. “Unless there is an immediate threat to others, slowing the situation and utilizing crisis intervention techniques can reduce the likelihood of a suicide-by-cop encounter and minimize the risk of injury to the individual, deputies, and the public.”Hilton rose to prominence after launching his gossip blog, as well as a fashion blog, a musical series, and has since become well known as a TV personality.The Cuban-American, legally known as Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr., made a name for himself by writing about celebrities. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from New York University, where he studied acting, before starting his blog in a coffee shop on Sunset Boulevard back in 2004.Earlier this year, Hilton said he’d suffered a medical scare that left him hospitalized for several weeks. He told his audience in May that he was besieged by hospital bills, despite being insured. In June, he shared that he had recently relocated to Miami from Las Vegas with his children.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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