Ebola surges past 3,200 cases in DRC as Oxford begins first vaccine trial

Lead

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 3,200 confirmed cases, with the death toll climbing to 1,405, according to government data reported on Sunday. The outbreak, declared on 15 May and caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, has now spread across five provinces, with nearly 90 per cent of cases reported in the north-eastern province of Ituri, which borders South Sudan and Uganda, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Coverage comparison

Al Jazeera reported earlier figures, citing government data released on Saturday that showed the death toll had surged above 1,309, with confirmed cases at 2,973 as of Thursday. The outlet noted that the number of cases had risen by 27 per cent from the previous Saturday, and described the epidemic as the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak ever documented. AllAfrica and RFI — English, in separate reports, cited more recent figures of 1,405 deaths and 3,200 confirmed cases, noting that infections had surged by around 1,000 in just 10 days.

AllAfrica and RFI — English both highlighted that the outbreak has been difficult to control due to the conflict-ridden eastern region, where decades of violence have hampered response efforts. They also reported that healthcare workers' strikes demanding unpaid wages have disrupted response efforts in some hospitals. Al Jazeera added that hostility from residents who question whether the disease is real has affected response efforts, and quoted a public health consultant who said the virus was "spreading like a wildfire."

Key claims

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has climbed to 1,405, with confirmed cases now at 3,200, as reported by AllAfrica and RFI — English, citing government data. Al Jazeera reported earlier figures of 1,309 deaths and 2,973 confirmed cases.

The outbreak was declared on 15 May and is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment. This was reported across all three outlets.

Nearly 90 per cent of cases have been reported in the north-eastern province of Ituri, according to the WHO, as reported by AllAfrica and RFI — English.

Strikes by healthcare workers demanding unpaid wages have disrupted response efforts in some hospitals, as reported by AllAfrica and RFI — English.

The true number of cases could be up to four times the official tally in the DRC, a claim carried by Al Jazeera but not mentioned in the other reports.

Al Jazeera reported that the government's response has lacked coordination and urgency, a claim not present in the other outlets' coverage.

Oxford University said on Friday that the first volunteer group had received an experimental vaccine specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain, as reported by all three outlets. The University of Oxford's Oxford Vaccine Group said a volunteer had received the first dose of the rapidly developed experimental vaccine. The chief investigator of the Oxford team, Katrin (name incomplete in source), called it "an important milestone for the trial" and noted it "marks the next phase in our multinational collaborative journey to develop a Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine."

Perspectives

DR Congo government

The government released official data showing the rising case and death tolls. Authorities said improved detection and testing had helped identify more infections.

Healthcare workers

Healthcare workers in some hospitals have gone on strike demanding unpaid wages, which has disrupted response efforts.

Oxford University

The University of Oxford's Oxford Vaccine Group is conducting a clinical trial of an experimental vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain. The first volunteer received a dose on Friday, a step the team described as an important milestone in developing a vaccine for this strain.

Public health experts

Abdulsalami Nasidi, a public health consultant who helped establish the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), told Al Jazeera that the lack of a proven vaccine meant the virus was "spreading like a wildfire" and that the epidemic was unfolding in an area of active hostilities, compounding the shortage of public health resources.