Ebola outbreak in DR Congo becomes deadliest in its history
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now the deadliest in its history, according to public health officials. A total of 2,325 people have been killed by the virus since it was declared on 15 May, surpassing the death toll of the country’s 2018-2020 outbreak. The outbreak was already the fastest growing […] The post Ebola outbreak in DR Congo becomes deadliest in its history…
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has become the deadliest in the country's history, surpassing the 2018-2020 outbreak. As of 12 August, the virus has killed 2,325 people, with the death toll surpassing 1,000 in less than three months. This rapid progression is described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "exceptional" compared to the 2014-2016 West African outbreak.
The current outbreak has spread to six of the 26 provinces in DRC, affecting a total of 4,945 confirmed cases, including 101 in the previous 24 hours. Dr Congo's Institute of Public Health has recorded these numbers, while few cases have been identified outside the country, with 20 confirmed in neighboring Uganda, two in Germany, and one in France.
The virus, known as Bundibugyo, has no approved vaccine yet, but several are in development, including one based on technology used in the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. The WHO hopes to reverse the spread of the disease within three months, but this will require controlling transmission rather than ending the outbreak entirely. Ebola is a rare but deadly disease, with symptoms similar to the flu or malaria, and the Bundibugyo species is even rarer, with only two known prior outbreaks.
Treatment options are limited, with only the WHO sponsoring a separate clinical trial to test existing antiviral therapies.
Written by urgent.news from KBC's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
