Ebola outbreak in DR Congo becomes deadliest in country's history

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has escalated to become the deadliest in the country's history, with the virus claiming lives at an alarming rate of one every 30 minutes, according to a UN official. This outbreak is spreading at a much faster pace compared to previous ones, with fatalities reaching 2,000 within just three months, as opposed to the five months it took during the 2014-16 West Africa outbreak.

Researchers speculate that the virus may have been circulating undetected since February, and an expert warns that cases are still being detected late, which significantly hampers the chances of successful treatment. The situation is further complicated by the ongoing violence in the conflict-affected region, which is likely impeding detection efforts.

The research suggests that countries are least capable of identifying outbreaks precisely in the areas where the danger is most severe, exacerbating the challenge in curbing the outbreak.

Brief written by urgent.news from Semafor's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.