The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with more than 2,300 people reportedly killed since the outbreak was declared in May.
Health authorities said 4,945 confirmed cases had been recorded, including 101 new cases within a 24-hour period.
The virus has spread to six of the country’s 26 provinces, raising concerns about the rapid pace of transmission.
The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a rare variant linked to only two previously recorded outbreaks.
Unlike the Zaire strain, which has caused several major Ebola epidemics, there is currently no approved vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo strain.
Public health officials have described the outbreak as exceptionally fast-moving. The United Nations humanitarian chief warned that the epidemic was killing about one person every 30 minutes at its peak.
Although the virus has largely remained within DR Congo, cases have been reported in neighbouring Uganda, while a small number have also been detected in Europe.
The World Health Organisation is working with health authorities to contain the outbreak and has set a three-month target to bring transmission under control.
However, health officials have cautioned that stopping transmission would not necessarily mean the outbreak would end immediately.
Scientists are also working on vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo strain. Britain’s medicines regulator has approved human trials of a vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Oxford, using technology similar to that used for the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Ebola is a rare but highly dangerous viral disease. Its symptoms can include fever, headache and fatigue, followed in severe cases by vomiting and diarrhoea.
The virus is mainly spread through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person.
The current outbreak is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in DR Congo since the virus was first identified in the country 50 years ago.
Years of conflict, population movement and pressure on the country’s healthcare system have made outbreak control particularly difficult.
With cases continuing to rise, health authorities are stepping up surveillance, treatment and infection-control measures to slow the spread of the disease.
