Ebola outbreak in DR Congo becomes deadliest in its history

What the report says

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history, according to public health officials cited by Nile Post. The report says 2,325 people have died since the outbreak was declared on 15 May, exceeding the death toll from the country’s 2018-2020 crisis. Officials also described the outbreak as the fastest growing on record.

Nile Post reported that DR Congo’s Institute of Public Health had recorded 4,945 confirmed cases, including 101 in the previous 24 hours. The virus has spread to six of the country’s 26 provinces, and health authorities and the World Health Organization have described the pace of transmission as unusually severe. The article also noted that a number of cases have been detected outside DR Congo, including in neighbouring Uganda, Germany and France.

The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, a rarer strain with limited prior outbreaks. The report said there is no approved vaccine yet for this variant, although several candidates are in development and the UK regulator has allowed the first human trials of one Oxford-led vaccine to begin. The WHO is also supporting a clinical trial of existing antiviral treatments in DR Congo.

The outbreak matters because Ebola can spread rapidly through contact with infected bodily fluids and can be difficult to contain in conflict-affected areas with high population movement. The WHO has said it hopes to slow transmission, though not necessarily end the outbreak within three months.