The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with the death toll reaching 2,325, according to public health officials.
The current outbreak, which was declared on May 15, has now surpassed the number of deaths recorded during the country’s 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak.
The outbreak has also been described as the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic ever recorded. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned last week that the disease was killing approximately one person every 30 minutes.
Ebola outbreak in DR Congo spreads rapidly.
DR Congo’s Institute of Public Health said on Sunday that the country had recorded 4,945 confirmed Ebola cases, including 101 cases reported during the previous 24 hours.
The virus has so far spread to six of the country’s 26 provinces, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) describing the speed of transmission as “exceptional”.
Researchers have suggested that the virus may have been spreading undetected since February, before the outbreak was officially declared in May.
According to Reuters, the scale of the current outbreak has developed significantly faster than previous major Ebola epidemics. During the 2014–2016 West African outbreak, which was the deadliest Ebola outbreak globally, it took almost five months for the death toll to reach 1,000.
The current outbreak reached 2,000 deaths within just three months.
Cases reported outside DR Congo remain limited.
Despite the rapid spread inside DR Congo, relatively few cases have been detected outside the country.
As of August 12, neighbouring Uganda had confirmed 20 cases, while two people had been treated in Germany and France had reported one case.
The outbreak is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in DR Congo since the virus was first discovered in the country 50 years ago.
Years of armed conflict and a highly mobile population have made efforts to contain the disease more difficult.
No approved vaccine is currently available for Bundibugyo Ebola
The current outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine.
The strain is particularly rare, with only two known outbreaks having previously been recorded.
Several vaccines are now under development, including a candidate being developed using technology similar to that used for the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorised the first human trials of a Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine.
The vaccine is being developed by researchers at the University of Oxford, using the same underlying technology as the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
Three other research groups are also working on separate vaccine candidates for the Bundibugyo strain.
WHO aims to slow Ebola transmission within three months
The WHO has said it hopes to reverse the spread of the disease within three months.
However, the organisation has clarified that the target means bringing transmission under control rather than completely ending the outbreak within that period.
The WHO is also supporting a separate clinical trial in DR Congo to determine whether two existing antiviral treatments can improve survival among people infected with the virus.
Ebola symptoms and transmission
Ebola is a rare but potentially fatal viral disease. Symptoms can resemble those of influenza or malaria and may include fever, headaches and extreme tiredness.
Symptoms can develop suddenly between two and 21 days after infection.
As the illness progresses, patients may experience vomiting and diarrhoea, which can lead to organ failure.
The virus is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids, including blood and vomit.
The rapid spread of the current outbreak, combined with the absence of an approved Bundibugyo vaccine, has increased the pressure on health authorities to expand testing, treatment and containment measures across affected areas.
