Ebola outbreak in DR Congo becomes deadliest in its history
The outbreak was already the fastest growing on record, caused by a rare species of Ebola called Bundibugyo.
Public health officials have announced that the Democratic Republic of Congo's current Ebola outbreak has become the deadliest in the nation's history.
Since its declaration on May 15, the virus has claimed 2,325 lives, surpassing the death toll of the country's 2018-2020 outbreak. A new Ebola treatment center was inaugurated in Rwakole, Bunia, DR Congo, on August 4.
Last week, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher stated that the outbreak was already the fastest-growing on record, cautioning that "the epidemic is killing someone every 30 minutes."
While there is no currently approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo species responsible for the present epidemic, several are under development. This includes one utilizing technology similar to that of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
On Sunday, DR Congo's Institute of Public Health reported 4,945 confirmed cases, with 101 identified in the preceding 24 hours.
Relatively few cases have been detected outside the country. As of August 12, 20 cases were confirmed in neighboring Uganda, two individuals received treatment in Germany, and one case was declared in France.
However, the World Health Organization has characterized the pace of the virus's transmission in DR Congo, where it has spread to six of 26 provinces, as "exceptional."
According to Reuters, the world's deadliest outbreak from 2014-2016 in West Africa took nearly five months to reach 1,000 fatalities. In contrast, the current outbreak reached 2,000 deaths in under three months.
This outbreak marks the 17th to emerge in DR Congo since Ebola was discovered 50 years ago. Years of conflict and a highly mobile population have exacerbated the country's challenges in controlling the disease's spread.
The WHO hopes to reverse the spread of the disease within three months, though it clarified that this means bringing transmission under control, not ending the outbreak entirely.
Ebola is a rare but deadly viral disease, and the Bundibugyo species is even rarer, with only two prior known outbreaks.
Ebola symptoms, which resemble those of the flu or malaria, include fever, headache, and tiredness, and can manifest suddenly within two to 21 days of infection. As the disease progresses, vomiting and diarrhea can develop, potentially leading to organ failure. The virus spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit.
The UK's medicines regulator, the MHRA, has authorized the first human trials for a Bundibugyo vaccine. This vaccine is being developed by a University of Oxford team, using the same technology as the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. Three other groups are also working on different Bundibugyo vaccines.
The WHO is also sponsoring a separate clinical trial in DR Congo to assess whether two existing antiviral therapies can improve survival rates.