The Democratic Republic of Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak has surpassed 3,500 confirmed cases, making it larger than the country’s deadliest epidemic recorded between 2018 and 2020, according to official figures released on Friday.
Health authorities said the country has now confirmed 3,532 Ebola infections across five provinces, with 1,556 deaths recorded as the outbreak continues to spread through the conflict-hit eastern region.
The outbreak, which has escalated rapidly over the past few months, is centred in eastern DR Congo, where years of armed conflict have complicated efforts to contain the deadly virus.
Ebola, which spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids and causes severe haemorrhagic fever, has claimed more than 15,000 lives across Africa over the past five decades.
The country’s deadliest Ebola outbreak, which occurred between 2018 and 2020, resulted in nearly 2,300 deaths from about 3,500 confirmed infections.
Official figures released on Friday showed that 3,532 confirmed cases have now been recorded in five provinces, including 1,556 fatalities.
The number of infections has risen sharply in recent weeks. On July 15, health authorities had confirmed about 2,000 cases, barely two months after officially declaring the outbreak.
The current epidemic, DR Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
However, efforts to find a solution are gathering pace. On Thursday, Singapore-based Hilleman Laboratories announced it would develop what the World Health Organisation has described as the most promising vaccine against the current outbreak.
Last week, another potential Bundibugyo vaccine developed by Oxford University entered clinical trials after the first volunteer received an initial dose.
The outbreak remains concentrated in Ituri Province in northeastern DR Congo, which shares borders with South Sudan and Uganda.
The virus has also spread to North Kivu, South Kivu and two other provinces, including areas where the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group controls major towns and territories, making containment efforts even more difficult.
Although Uganda declared itself Ebola-free this week following the recovery of its last locally transmitted case, the World Health Organisation has warned that the country remains vulnerable because of the ongoing outbreak across the border.