--- title: Congo Measles Outbreak: United Nations Says 300 Have Died description: A measles outbreak in the Congo has killed more than 300 people and infected at least 20,000, according to a report. canonical: https://time.com/3994788/congo-measles-outbreak/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-08-12T19:04:24.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:00.451Z article:section: Health og:title: Congo Measles Outbreak Infects at Least 20,000 og:description: It's the worst measles outbreak in the region since 2010-2011 og:url: https://time.com/3994788/congo-measles-outbreak/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Congo Measles Outbreak Infects at Least 20,000 twitter:description: It's the worst measles outbreak in the region since 2010-2011 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # Congo Measles Outbreak Infects at Least 20,000 ## Video: Ebola Fighters in West Africa - TIME's Person of the Year 2014 [Watch (HLS stream): Ebola Fighters in West Africa - TIME's Person of the Year 2014](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/laroqNbt.m3u8) (10:47)  _Published 2014-12-10. Hundreds of doctors, nurses and health workers work every day to treat and contain the outbreak in the hot zone_  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Aug 12, 2015 7:04 PM UTC  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Aug 12, 2015 7:04 PM UTC A measles outbreak in a southeast province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed more than 300 people and infected at least 20,000, according to a preliminary United Nations report. The outbreak is still expanding, according to the draft report, and hundreds more in remote areas may have died without their deaths being recorded. The news, [reported](http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/08/12/uk-congodemocratic-health-idUKKCN0QH1N120150812?utm%5Fsource=twitter) by Reuters and confirmed by TIME, marks the worst measles outbreak in the region since a 2010-2011 outbreak killed more than 1,000 people. The report, drafted by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, says that more than $2 million is needed to fight the disease in the region. The outbreak, while devastating, isn’t entirely surprising given conditions in the Congo. 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