More than 3,000 dead in Congo’s Ebola outbreak

More than 3,000 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak, which was declared in mid-May. According to government data, a total of 6,186 cases have been recorded, including 3,007 deaths. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, is the country's deadliest-ever and has resulted in a 48.6% fatality rate.

The World Health Organization (WHO) believes the virus began spreading under the radar as early as late January, making it challenging for responders to halt the spread. The WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has stated that tracking the chains of transmission remains a challenge, with many deaths occurring among people who were not on a list of known contacts.

Efforts to combat the outbreak are underway, including trials for potential vaccines and treatments. The WHO aims to start clinical efficacy trials of potential vaccines next month or in November. Two new vaccines against the Bundibugyo virus are currently in safety trials in the UK and Canada, and 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been made available, with over 16,000 doses already delivered.

Brief written by urgent.news from Qatar Tribune, Medical Xpress, SABC News, The Hill, Daily Post Nigeria — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.