This Ebola outbreak has claimed over 2,000 lives. Here’s why it is so hard to contain

Over 2,000 individuals have succumbed to the world's fastest-growing Ebola outbreak, which is proving difficult to contain due to a rare virus with no approved treatment or vaccine. Congo's health authorities have reported 4,381 confirmed cases and 2,011 deaths, a death toll that has risen almost three times faster than the 2014-16 outbreak.

The outbreak's challenges are compounded by a lack of protective gear for health workers, rebel threats, community anger, and misinformation. Health teams traverse remote, unpaved roads and face shortages of essential supplies. The outbreak is unfolding in five eastern provinces near South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda, with fears of wider spread to urban areas with highly mobile populations.

The virus, Bundibugyo, is highly contagious and spreads through contact with bodily fluids, contaminated surfaces, and traditional funeral practices. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and in severe cases, bleeding. Outbreaks typically occur in remote villages near rainforests in Central Africa.

This is the 17th known Ebola outbreak in Congo, and experts believe the country is well-prepared to apply lessons learned. However, the shortage of supplies and the volatile, violent region in which the outbreak is occurring pose significant challenges. Health teams operate under threat of attack by armed groups, and misinformation has fueled suspicion and hostility towards health workers.

The outbreak is particularly deadly due to delayed care, as this Bundibugyo outbreak has resulted in a higher percentage of fatalities compared to the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak. Access to healthcare has been further challenged by years of rebel conflict, leaving some pregnant women and others reluctant to seek treatment, putting their lives at risk.

Striking health workers have halted response efforts, demanding prompt payment from the Congolese government. A treatment study has begun enrolling local participants, but a labor strike could exacerbate containment efforts.