Ebola cases in DR Congo top 5,000 – Africa CDC

The African Union's health agency reported on Wednesday that over 5,000 cases of Ebola have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), marking the country's worst outbreak in history. Declared on May 15, this 17th outbreak is believed to have been spreading for several weeks before the declaration. The epidemic has predominantly affected regions in the north and east, where state presence is weak, health infrastructure is lacking, and armed groups have operated for decades.

According to the latest data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the current outbreak has resulted in 2,378 deaths out of 5,021 confirmed cases. This figure surpasses the death toll from the previous deadliest outbreak in the DRC, which occurred between 2018 and 2020. That outbreak killed 2,299 people out of 3,381 confirmed cases, as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO).

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Tuesday that the epidemic is "far from being under control" and that the risk of further national and international spread remains high. Ebola, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past 50 years. However, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for this strain of the virus. Clinical trials are underway to address this lack.

Despite ongoing efforts to ramp up the response and reach communities where the virus is spreading, the response has faced criticism for its slowness and poor organization. Mistrust among parts of the population has also hindered surveillance and control activities, with Africa CDC stating that difficulties persist, including refusals of testing and resistance in some communities.

The European Union announced on Tuesday that it would be sending 2.5 million euros ($2.9 million) worth of testing kits to support the response.