The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has become the deadliest ever recorded in the country, with 2,325 deaths reported since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
Public health officials said the death toll has surpassed that of the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak, making the current epidemic the most severe and fastest-growing outbreak in the country’s history.
According to the DRC’s Institute of Public Health, 4,945 confirmed cases have been recorded, including 101 new infections reported within the previous 24 hours.
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The United Nations humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, last week warned that the epidemic was claiming one life every 30 minutes, underscoring the rapid spread of the virus.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described the rate of transmission in the DRC as “exceptional,” noting that the virus has spread to six of the country’s 26 provinces.
Beyond the DRC, the outbreak has also affected neighbouring countries. As of August 12, Uganda had confirmed 20 cases, while two patients had been treated in Germany and one case had been reported in France.
Health authorities said the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine currently exists.
However, several vaccine candidates are under development, including one based on the technology used in the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved human trials of a vaccine candidate developed by researchers at the University of Oxford.
Three other research groups are also developing vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo strain, while the WHO is supporting a clinical trial in the DRC to assess whether two existing antiviral treatments can improve survival rates.
The WHO said it hopes to bring transmission under control within three months, while stressing that achieving that goal would not necessarily mark the end of the outbreak.
The current epidemic is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC since the virus was first identified in the country 50 years ago.
Health experts said years of conflict and a highly mobile population have complicated containment efforts, while researchers believe the virus may have been spreading undetected since February.
Ebola is a rare but potentially fatal viral disease that initially causes symptoms such as fever, headache and fatigue before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea and other severe complications.
The virus is primarily transmitted through contact with the bodily fluids of infected persons.
BBC
