DRC Ebola Outbreak Becomes Deadliest in Country’s History as Cases Surge

By Staff, Agencies

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC] has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with at least 2,325 people killed, according to government data, surpassing the toll from the 2018–20 outbreak.

The DRC’s public health institute said on Sunday that confirmed cases had reached 4,945, including 101 new cases recorded over the previous 24 hours.

The outbreak is also the fastest-growing known surge of the virus. Six of the country’s 26 provinces have been affected, mainly along the northeastern border, with more than 3,400 cases reported in Ituri province, where the outbreak began.

The United Nations warned on Friday that “Ebola is winning in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” saying the epidemic was now claiming one life every 30 minutes.

The current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Thomas Parisch, a public health specialist deployed to the DRC with Médecins Sans Frontières, said many patients were still being identified too late for treatment to be effective.

“Normally, as an outbreak progresses, the case fatality ratio should fall as contact tracing improves and patients are identified and treated earlier,” Parisch said. Instead, he noted, many cases continue to be detected only after patients have died in their communities.

Meanwhile, Uganda has reported at least 20 cases, all in the capital, Kampala. In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.

Ebola can spread from wild animals to humans and then between people through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected individuals, as well as contaminated surfaces and materials such as clothing and bedding.

According to the WHO, initial symptoms can include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, rash and impaired kidney and liver function.