Over 2,300 dead in Congo’s deadliest Ebola outbreak

The death toll from the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 2,325, rendering it the deadliest in the nation's history, according to a report from the Public Health Institute in Kinshasa on Monday. The previous largest Ebola outbreak in Congo, which occurred between 2018 and 2020, resulted in 2,299 fatalities.

Presently, there have been 4,945 confirmed cases, reported by the institute. This outbreak marks the 17th documented Ebola case in the country, home to approximately 112 million inhabitants.

The most extensive Ebola outbreak in history took place in West Africa, where over 28,500 cases were documented, and 11,310 people perished between 2014 and 2016 in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The World Health Organization (WHO) expresses grave concerns that the ongoing outbreak in Congo could escalate to unprecedented levels.

According to the WHO, the number of cases and deaths during the first three months of this outbreak has already surpassed several times the figures recorded during the corresponding period of the West African outbreak.

The current Congo outbreak was first reported in mid-May. This outbreak is particularly challenging to contain due to its association with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which lacks a specific vaccine or treatment at present. Clinical trials of two antiviral treatments have been underway since early July. Given the severity of the outbreak, authorities are also keen on determining whether the virus may have mutated.