Congo's current Ebola outbreak has killed over 2,300 people, making it the deadliest on record for the Central African nation. The outbreak, unfolding in the country's eastern region, has recorded 4,945 cases including 2,325 deaths, according to government data released Monday. This marks Congo's 17th and largest Ebola outbreak, surpassing the 2018-2020 outbreak which resulted in 2,299 deaths from 3,481 cases.
In the preceding 24 hours, 101 new cases and 33 deaths were reported. Over 1,000 individuals have recovered, while 730 remain hospitalized or in isolation facilities. The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that this outbreak is on track to exceed the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which was the deadliest globally with more than 11,000 fatalities.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Trials for potential treatments are underway in Ituri province, identified as the epicenter. Response efforts are being hampered by several challenges, including strikes by some unpaid health workers, threats from rebel groups, distrust from communities with a history of trauma, difficulties reaching remote areas due to poor road infrastructure, and the spread of misinformation denying the existence of Ebola.
WHO issued a warning over the weekend that the outbreak continues to spread at an "exceptional pace," outpacing tracking efforts. The agency reported a weekly record of 579 cases and 304 deaths in the preceding week. In response, a substantial scaling up of activities is in progress to gain control of the situation. On Friday, United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher announced an allocation of an additional $30.5 million and the deployment of 20 more staff to support on-the-ground response efforts, emphasizing the need for "speed, scale and solidarity before this virus gets even further ahead of us."