Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Becomes Deadliest in Country's History

What the report says

An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the country’s deadliest on record, according to figures cited in a Deutsche Welle report distributed by AllAfrica. Government data put the death toll at 2,325, exceeding the 2,299 deaths recorded during the 2018-2020 outbreak. The report said there were 4,945 confirmed cases.

The United Nations has warned that the outbreak is moving quickly, with one person reportedly dying every 30 minutes. The disease is spread through infected bodily fluids and can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding. The current outbreak is the DRC’s 17th and is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which the article said there are no approved vaccines or treatments.

According to the report, the outbreak was declared on May 15 and likely began several weeks earlier in northeastern Ituri province before spreading to five additional provinces. It also noted that the case fatality ratio has risen to 46%, though experts quoted in the story said that increase appears to reflect gaps in surveillance, detection and access to care rather than a more deadly virus.

The wider significance is that the DRC outbreak is now second only to the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic in total lethality, underlining continued Ebola risks in central Africa and the challenges of controlling transmission in areas with limited health access.