Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo Now Deadliest in Country's History
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has become the deadliest in the country's history, with the death toll reaching 2,378 over the weekend, according to government data reported by Reuters. The public health institute said the latest situation report logged 5,021 cases, surpassing the 2018-2020 outbreak, which recorded 2,299 deaths and was previously the worst on record.
Congo's 17th Ebola epidemic turned into the biggest in the country's history in terms of number of cases in late July, and it has now also become the deadliest. The outbreak is the second-worst globally, behind only the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, which recorded 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization. It took nearly five months from the declaration of that outbreak to hit 1,000 deaths, whereas Congo's current outbreak hit 2,000 deaths in less than three months.
The ongoing outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments. The outbreak has gained momentum since it was declared on May 15, as weak health infrastructure, community resistance, instability, and protests by response workers hinder efforts to identify and respond to cases.
The case fatality ratio—the proportion of people dying after a confirmed infection—has risen from about 20% in early June to 46%, according to government data, meaning nearly one in every two confirmed cases is now fatal. Experts say the trend does not indicate the virus has become more lethal. Instead, it points to persistent shortcomings in surveillance, case detection, and access to care. Thomas Parisch, a public health specialist deployed to the DRC with Médecins Sans Frontières, said that as an outbreak progresses, the case fatality ratio should fall, but many cases are still detected very late.
A small number of experimental vaccines and therapies for Ebola are being evaluated, while global health authorities assess whether existing Ebola treatments could offer protection, with evidence so far limited to animal studies.
The outbreak also spread to neighbouring Uganda, but authorities there limited deaths to two and confirmed cases to 20, and declared an end to the outbreak in that country last month.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, living or dead, and can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
This article is based on reporting from France 24 and Tasnim News Agency.