The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has claimed the lives of at least 999 people, with officials declaring it the fastest in history. As of Monday, 2,473 cases have been recorded, and 737 patients are currently in isolation.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. This outbreak has reached 1,000 deaths in approximately four months, significantly faster than the 2013-2016 outbreak, which took about eight months to reach the same milestone and ultimately resulted in over 11,000 deaths.
Ebola is a rare but highly contagious disease transmitted through bodily fluids. The severe illness it causes is often fatal.
Officials are concerned that 80% of new cases are emerging from unknown transmission chains, indicating the virus is spreading more rapidly than health authorities can track. The outbreak is centered in Ituri province, but cases have also been recorded in four other provinces.
Response efforts are being hampered by community resistance, particularly towards safe and dignified burial practices. In some instances, burial teams have required escorts from security forces to perform their duties, as communities seek to adhere to traditional burial customs. Shortages of burial supplies and a lack of operational burial teams in some affected areas have also caused delays.
Compounding the challenges, attacks on health facilities and response teams have forced some front-line workers and aid groups to withdraw from certain areas. Some health workers have also gone on strike due to unpaid wages since the outbreak began. An incident last week saw a member of a burial team injured when their vehicle was pelted with stones.
Despite these obstacles, authorities emphasize the urgency of the situation. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, stated that intensified efforts are needed to slow the outbreak, warning it could become one of the worst documented globally if not contained.
Currently, less than 9% of contacts from confirmed cases are being monitored, a rate far below what is necessary for containment. More than 60% of deaths are occurring within communities before patients can access care, suggesting that many infections are going undetected and unisolated, allowing the virus to continue spreading.