Gold Mining and Disease: Why Ebola Spreads in Congo's Mining Towns

An Ebola outbreak in Mongbwalu, a gold-mining town in northeastern Congo, has infected about 246 people with 65 deaths as of June 2026. A New York Times investigation shows how artisanal mining—informal, transient work—accelerates the virus's spread. The death rate sits around 26 percent. International aid efforts face familiar barriers: conflict, fragile health systems, and porous borders that hamper containment.