Ebola outbreak in DR Congo now deadliest ever

What the report says

France24 Africa reported that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history, based on the latest government data. The public health institute said confirmed cases had reached 4,945, including 101 new infections identified in the previous 24 hours, and the death toll had climbed to 2,325. That figure exceeds the 2,299 deaths recorded in Congo’s 2018-2020 outbreak, which had previously been the country’s worst Ebola crisis on record.

The article said this is Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak and that it was already the country’s largest by case count in late July. It is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain, a rarer form of Ebola for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists. France24 noted that weak health infrastructure, community resistance and insecurity have complicated efforts to trace contacts, detect cases and provide care.

The report also highlighted the outbreak’s severity by comparing it with previous Ebola emergencies. It said Congo’s current outbreak reached 2,000 deaths in less than three months, faster than the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic took to reach 1,000 deaths. The World Health Organization has said the disease can spread through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected people, and symptoms may include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and internal or external bleeding.

France24 added that the outbreak had previously spread into Uganda, where authorities later contained it. The growing toll in Congo underscores continuing challenges in outbreak control and the need for faster detection and treatment, according to experts quoted in the article.