By Rebecca Ampah
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed 2,325 lives, making it the deadliest outbreak of the disease ever recorded in the country.
According to the latest figures from the country’s public health institute, confirmed infections have increased to 4,945, with 101 new cases recorded in the past 24 hours..
The outbreak, which was declared on May 15, is the DRC’s 17th. It had already surpassed previous outbreaks in terms of confirmed cases by late July, and the latest fatalities have now exceeded the 2,299 deaths recorded during the 2018–2020 outbreak.
Health authorities say the outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Efforts to contain the disease have been complicated by weak health systems, insecurity and resistance within some communities.
The proportion of confirmed patients who have died has also climbed sharply, from around 20% in early June to 46%.
Public health experts say the increase does not necessarily suggest that the virus has become more severe. Rather, they believe many cases are being detected late, reducing patients’ chances of receiving timely treatment.
Experimental vaccines and treatments are being assessed, although there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment specifically for the Bundibugyo strain.
The outbreak also crossed into neighbouring Uganda, where health authorities recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths before declaring the outbreak over last month.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, including those who have died from the disease. Common symptoms include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe cases can result in bleeding.
The DRC outbreak is currently the second-deadliest Ebola epidemic ever recorded, behind the 2014–2016 West African outbreak, which killed 11,310 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Source: CNN, Reuters
