Ebola outbreak now DR Congo's deadliest ever

Kinshasa, Congo - An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has now become the deadliest in the country's history, according to government figures released on Monday. The virus has claimed over 2,300 lives within three months, with the United Nations reporting it as the fastest-growing outbreak on record. This strain causes a haemorrhagic fever and spreads through contact with bodily fluids, claiming a victim every 30 minutes.

The outbreak, declared on May 15, is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC and is believed to have been active for several weeks prior to the official declaration. The affected regions are in the north and east, where state presence is weak, health infrastructure is lacking, and armed groups have been active for decades. The 2018 to 2020 outbreak in the DRC, previously considered the deadliest, resulted in 2,299 deaths out of 3,381 confirmed cases, as per World Health Organization (WHO) figures based on Congolese data. As of Monday, Congolese authorities reported 2,300 deaths.