More than 2,000 people have died from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 2,000 people have died from the current Ebola outbreak, and the total number of reported cases has exceeded 4,380. The outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus is spreading in the east and northeast of the country, according to Deutsche Welle, citing DR Congo health authorities.
This is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the country. Sania Nishtar, a representative of the global vaccine alliance Gavi, warned that it could become the largest in the DRC’s history. The largest outbreak in the country to date was the one from 2018 to 2020, during which approximately 3,500 cases of infection and 2,300 deaths were recorded.
The current outbreak was officially declared on May 15, but health officials believe the first transmissions of the virus may have occurred as early as February or even earlier. The death toll reached 1,000 after nine weeks, and then the number of deaths doubled in just three more weeks. The case fatality rate stands at 45.9%, compared to 39.6% during the 2014–2016 West African epidemic.
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DR Congo Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba stated that the country has not yet reached the peak of the outbreak. According to him, authorities expect to bring the outbreak under control and see a decline in cases over the next three months.
There is currently no approved vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain. The WHO has recommended conducting a full-scale trial of the Ervebo vaccine, which has proven effective against the Zaire strain of Ebola, but its efficacy against the Bundibugyo strain has not yet been confirmed. Gavi reported that approximately 500,000 doses of Ervebo are available for the trial. At the same time, clinical trials of two antiviral treatments have been underway since early July.
Efforts to contain the disease are complicated by an unstable security situation, poor roads, violence by rebels, unpaid salaries for healthcare workers, and strikes. Authorities have restricted mass gatherings and closed the airport in Ituri Province, the epicenter of the outbreak. The WHO regional director stated that health workers are trying to catch up with the virus, which is outpacing them.
