The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is grappling with an unprecedented Ebola outbreak, which has tragically claimed 2,325 lives as of today, surpassing the devastating 2018-2020 outbreak to become the deadliest in the country’s history. Confirmed cases of the virus have risen to 4,945, with 101 new infections recorded in the past 24 hours, according to the DRC’s National Public Health Institute’s latest report.
The outbreak, the DRC’s 17th largest in terms of confirmed cases, was already the most significant in the country’s history in late July. The latest government data reveals that the total death toll has surpassed the 2,299 deaths recorded in the 2018-2020 outbreak, a milestone reached in July that previously stood as the worst in the DRC’s history.
“The outbreak is the fastest-growing on record,” Tom Fletcher, the United Nations humanitarian chief, stated in a Friday press conference, emphasizing the urgency to speed up response efforts. Fletcher stressed the need for speed, scale, and solidarity to prevent the virus from gaining further ground.
The outbreak, originating in Bundibugyo, a region near South Sudan, Uganda, and Rwanda, has been exacerbated by several factors. The DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak is characterized by the Bundibugyo species of virus, which lacks approved vaccines or treatments, and a region characterized by weak health infrastructure, remoteness, and ongoing conflict near the DRC’s borders.
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained that at its current pace, the outbreak is projected to eclipse the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016, a crisis that resulted in more than 11,000 deaths and accelerated efforts to develop a vaccine.
The current outbreak is currently causing a significant rise in the case fatality ratio, which has increased from approximately 20% in early June to 46% – meaning nearly one in every two confirmed cases is now deadly.
“As an outbreak progresses, the case fatality ratio should fall as contact tracing improves and patients are identified and treated earlier,” stated Thomas Parisch, a public health specialist with MSF, a global healthcare organization. “However, we’re still seeing many cases detected very late, when treatment is less likely to succeed, with many identified only after they die in the community.”
The proportion of people dying from the outbreak after a confirmed infection, known as the case fatality ratio, has risen from about 20% in early June to 46% – indicating a significant increase in mortality.
Government officials are working to mitigate the spread of the virus, which is being evaluated for experimental vaccines and therapies. Global health authorities are assessing whether existing Ebola treatments could offer protection. Evidence so far is limited to animal studies.
Source: Al Jazeera Africa
