The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has surpassed 2,000, with health authorities reporting 2,011 confirmed deaths as the virus continues to spread rapidly across the country.
According to data from Congo’s public health institute seen by Reuters, the outbreak has recorded 4,381 confirmed cases across five provinces.
Health officials have described the current outbreak as the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic recorded in the country. The outbreak, Congo’s 17th, is being caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments.
Delayed detection of cases, insecurity and pressure on the country’s healthcare system have made it more difficult to contain the virus. Shortages of medical supplies have also hampered efforts to trace contacts, isolate patients and prevent further transmission.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Cases have also been reported in neighbouring Uganda.
Researchers have found evidence suggesting that transmission may have started as early as January in Ituri province, months before the outbreak was officially identified.
The scale and speed of the outbreak have raised serious concerns. Congo’s current outbreak reached 2,000 deaths in less than three months, while the Ebola epidemic in the country between 2018 and 2020 took more than a year to reach the same death toll.
The only larger Ebola outbreak on record occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, when Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone recorded more than 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization.
Health authorities and aid organisations are intensifying efforts to contain the virus and prevent the outbreak from spreading further.
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