BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Confirmed cases in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo have reached 1,003, including 254 deaths, officials said in a statement late Sunday, as tracing those who had been in contact with patients remains a major challenge.
A total of 100 people have recovered in the outbreak concentrated in the Ituri province since it was declared on May 15, Congo’s Ministry of Health said. At least 365 patients are in hospitals or in isolation, it said.
The Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no vaccines or treatment, was the worst ever in its first month. Officials admit there could be far more cases they still don’t know about and that the peak of the outbreak is still ahead.
Contact tracing remains a key issue for local authorities, who have only achieved a 55% coverage rate, the ministry said.
Officials also are yet to identify the outbreak’s patient zero and still need to trace more than 35,000 people who have come in contact with infected individuals as of last week, authorities said.
That’s partly because eastern Congo is also battling ongoing violence from rebels. In Ituri, attacks by the Islamic State group-backed Allied Democratic Force have cut off access to many villages and forced people to flee their homes, including those sheltering in overcrowded camps and others constantly on the move.
More than a month into the outbreak, officials believe the disease continues to outpace response efforts and no one knows its true scale.
“If you want to control an outbreak, especially Ebola outbreak, you must know the index case. We don’t have confidence on when this outbreak started,” the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya told The Associated Press last week.
Red Cross workers prepare to bury Vanisa Anifa, a 6-month-old orphaned girl who died of Ebola, at the Bigo Cemetery, in Bunia, Congo, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
Relatives of Vanisa Anifa, a 6-month-old orphaned girl who died of Ebola, attend her burial, in Bunia, Congo, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — With Senegal in a difficult spot in World Cup group play, coach Pape Thiaw is not revealing how many changes he might make for his team's game against Norway on Monday night.
“Am I going to shake things up a bit? Well, you’ll find this out,” Thiaw said through an interpreter at a news conference Sunday.
Senegal hung in tough against France for the first half of its opener before losing 3-1. Édouard Mendy allowed three goals on eight shots in that game, which included Kylian Mbappé scoring from long range moments after Senegal finally got on the board in stoppage time.
Reserve goalkeeper Mory Diaw accompanied Thiaw to the news conference, but denied his appearance may indicate he would start in place of Mendy.
Senegal has only Iraq left to play after facing Norway in Group I, so the Lions of Teranga are treating their second game as if it is a must-win final.
“We’re in a very tough group; we knew this coming in,” Thiaw said. “We obviously lost the first one, but there’s everything left to play for. We cannot get this wrong.”
Whoever is in goal — and on the field — for Senegal, the biggest challenge is slowing down Erling Haaland, the high-scoring striker who had two goals in a 4-1 rout of Iraq on Tuesday after leading Europe with 16 in qualifying.
“Yes, Haaland, but it's not Haaland alone,” Diaw said through an interpreter. “Haaland by himself, he can’t do anything. He needs his teammates, so it’s not how do we stop Haaland. It’s up to us to be prepared for the game against Norway.”
Diaw was echoing Thiaw, who said his plan was to neutralize Norway as a team. Of course, that begins with Haaland, who scored 27 goals in 35 Premier League games for Manchester City this past season and has 57 internationally.
“Haaland obviously doesn’t need any introducing,” Thiaw said. “We’ve got good defenders. We’ve got very high-level defenders who have played in very high-level competitions and have come across strikers of this caliber.”
After reports lingered for months that Thiaw was coaching without a contract, he said he now has one. He declined to say how long it was for, calling the details confidential and the timing less than ideal.
“It took too long,” Thiaw said. “But it was not really a money issue. It was more principles and respect issue, but it’s been resolved.”
Thiaw also acknowledged players had some problems but said they have been worked out. Amid reports that Senegal is enduring food issues without a team chef at the World Cup, Diaw was asked what his complaints were and responded that the team handles issues internally.
“I don’t think we need to come and air our dirty laundry here,” Diaw said. “We’ve got a group of players, professional players, and we’re here to represent our Senegalese country and that’s what we’re here to do. And we’re trying to do the best that we can (Monday night). And all of the other problems or these scandals, there’s nothing that’s going to take away from our focus on our common objective.”
Haaland and his teammates would move on to the round of 32 with a victory. Norway is in the World Cup for just the fourth time and first since 1998.
Reaching the round of 16 is the furthest Norway has advanced at the tournament. Coach Ståle Solbakken thought his team could not move on yet, but getting to six points with head- to-head as the first tiebreaker would get the job done.
"We need to put (together) two good performances," Solbakken said. “We know how important the game is. We know what we have to do, and that’s our main focus.”
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
Norway's Erling Haaland (9) smiles as he leaves the pitch at the end of the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Iraq's Zaid Tahseen, right, grabs Norway's Erling Haaland during the World Cup Group I soccer match between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saves the ball during the World Cup Group I soccer match between France and Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw, left, shakes hands with France head coach Didier Deschamps at the end of during the World Cup Group I soccer match between France and Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
France's Bradley Barcola (12) scores a goal against Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (16) during the World Cup Group I soccer match between France and Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J., near New York, Tuesday, June 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
