The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with more than 2,300 deaths recorded since the outbreak was declared in May.
Health authorities said 4,945 confirmed cases have been reported so far, including 101 new cases within a 24-hour period.
The outbreak has now spread to six of DR Congo’s 26 provinces, raising concerns about the rapid rate of transmission.
The current outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant that has previously been responsible for only two known outbreaks.
Unlike the Zaire strain, which has caused several major Ebola epidemics, there is currently no approved vaccine specifically targeting the Bundibugyo variant.
Public health officials have described the outbreak as moving at an unusually rapid pace. At the height of the crisis, the United Nations humanitarian chief warned that the disease was claiming approximately one life every 30 minutes.
Although the virus has remained largely concentrated in DR Congo, cases have also been identified in neighbouring Uganda, while a small number have been detected in Europe.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with health authorities to contain transmission within three months, although officials have cautioned that stopping transmission would not necessarily bring the outbreak to an immediate end.
Scientists are also accelerating efforts to develop a vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo strain.
Britain’s medicines regulator has approved human trials of an Ebola vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Oxford. The vaccine uses technology similar to that employed in the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Ebola is a rare but potentially fatal viral disease. Early symptoms can include fever, headache and fatigue, while severe cases may progress to vomiting and diarrhoea.
Transmission mainly occurs through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person.
The current crisis marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in DR Congo since the virus was first identified in the country 50 years ago.
Health officials say years of conflict, population displacement and pressure on the country’s healthcare system have made it more difficult to contain outbreaks.
With infections continuing to increase, authorities are expanding surveillance, treatment and infection-control measures in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
