At least 2,325 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak, according to government data, making it the deadliest recorded in the country and surpassing the toll from the 2018–20 outbreak.
The country’s public health institute said confirmed cases had reached 4,945, including 101 cases detected in the previous 24 hours. The outbreak has affected six of the DRC’s 26 provinces, mainly along the north-eastern border.
Where the outbreak is concentrated
More than 3,400 confirmed cases have been recorded in Ituri province, where the outbreak was first reported. The latest case figures make the surge the fastest-growing known outbreak of the virus.
Uganda has reported at least 20 cases, all in the capital, Kampala. In May, the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.
Related coverage: What the new Ebola transmission finding means for the DRC outbreak.
Why the death toll is rising
The United Nations warned that Ebola was killing one person every 30 minutes in the DRC. Thomas Parisch, a public health specialist recently deployed to the country with Médecins Sans Frontières, said many cases were still being identified late, including after patients died in the community.
Parisch said the case-fatality ratio would normally be expected to fall as contact tracing improves and people are diagnosed and treated earlier. The current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.
How Ebola spreads and its symptoms
Ebola can pass from wild animals to people and then spread through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people. Contaminated materials and surfaces, including bedding and clothing, can also transmit the virus.
More context: A new death extends the DRC Ebola outbreak’s reach.
The WHO says symptoms may include fever, fatigue, malaise, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. Later symptoms can include vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rash and signs of impaired kidney and liver function.
Also read: UN Calls for Accelerated Action to Contain Ebola Spread in DR Congo Amid Complex Crisis.
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