DRC Ebola death toll passes 2,000 amid fastest-growing outbreak on record

What the report says

More than 2,000 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the outbreak was declared less than three months ago, according to Al Jazeera’s report on Tuesday. The article, citing official government data, said the country had confirmed 4,381 cases and 2,011 deaths across five provinces, making this the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record in the DRC. It is also described as the second-largest Ebola outbreak in history, behind the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic.

Al Jazeera reported that at least 1,000 of the deaths occurred in the last three weeks, underscoring how quickly the virus has spread. The current outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved treatment or vaccine, though the World Health Organization said vaccine trials are under way.

The response has been complicated by unpaid health worker strikes, misinformation and burial practices that can increase transmission risk. The report also noted that WHO said the virus first appeared in February, months before the outbreak was officially declared in the DRC and neighboring Uganda on May 15.

The worsening situation matters not only for public health in the DRC but also regionally, as countries monitor for possible imported cases. Al Jazeera noted that Israel’s health ministry had been alerted to a possible case involving a traveler from the DRC, with tests pending.