Kinshasa: The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has officially become the deadliest in the country's history, with 2,325 fatalities reported, according to the latest government data. The number of confirmed cases has increased to 4,945, with 101 new cases identified in the last 24 hours, as reported by Congo's public health institute.
According to France24.com, the outbreak has now surpassed the death toll from the 2018-2020 epidemic, which previously held the record for the deadliest in the nation's history. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in Congo, and it was already the largest in terms of cases when it reached a significant milestone in late July. The total number of deaths has now exceeded the 2,299 deaths recorded during the 2018-2020 outbreak.
The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, presents added challenges as there are no approved vaccines or treatments available. This particular outbreak has been gaining momentum since May 15, compounded by weak health infrastructure, community resistance, and regional instability, which have hampered efforts to identify and respond to new cases.
The case fatality ratio, or the proportion of people dying after a confirmed infection, has risen from about 20% in early June to 46%, according to government data. This means nearly one in every two confirmed cases is now fatal, although experts indicate this trend reflects ongoing issues in surveillance and case detection rather than an increase in the virus's lethality.
Public health specialist Thomas Parisch, deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo with M©decins Sans Fronti¨res, emphasized that typically, as an outbreak progresses, the case fatality ratio should decrease due to improved contact tracing and earlier patient identification and treatment. However, many cases continue to be detected late, reducing the likelihood of successful treatment.
Experimental vaccines and therapies are being assessed, while global health authorities are also evaluating whether existing Ebola treatments could offer protection. So far, evidence is limited to animal studies. The outbreak had earlier spread to neighboring Uganda, but authorities there successfully contained it, limiting deaths to two and confirmed cases to 20 before declaring an end to the outbreak last month.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals, whether living or deceased. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.