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Learning English from the News

Upper intermediate level

Deadly Ebola virus spreads

Episode 260520 / 20 May 2026

(Photo via Getty Images)

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The story

An Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo was announced by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday. Ebola is a serious disease caused by a virus caught from wild animals and is usually found in certain parts of Africa. It spreads from person to person when you come in to contact with infected body fluids, such as blood, urine and vomit.

Officials in Uganda reported that the deadly disease had spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The total ⁠number of suspected cases means that this outbreak is already one of the largest on record.

News headlines 

Ebola outbreak with uncommon strain erupts in Congo and Uganda; 65 deaths
Ars Technica

Flawed tests and funerals allowed Ebola to spread undetected, sources
Reuters

Why Congo’s Ebola outbreak is far more alarming than
Washington Post

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Key words and phrases

erupt
start suddenly and on a large scale

  • The crowd erupted when the rock star finally came on stage.

undetected
not found, noticed, or discovered

  • The thieves were undetected for years. They stole thousands of valuable items before getting caught.

alarming
worrying or concerning

  • I saw some alarming news about the rising sea levels.

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