The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with more than 2,300 deaths recorded, according to the latest official figures.
The DRC has recorded 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 deaths since the outbreak began, representing a case fatality rate of 47 per cent, according to a situation report released by the country’s health authorities on Sunday.
The latest death toll has surpassed that of the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC, making the current epidemic the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the 2018–2020 outbreak recorded 3,481 cases, including 2,299 deaths.
The current outbreak is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976. It was officially declared on May 15 and is reportedly caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus.
The outbreak has spread across 55 health zones in six provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, Haut-Uele, Tshopo, South Kivu and Bas-Uele.
The WHO has warned that the outbreak could become the worst Ebola epidemic ever recorded globally if its current trajectory continues.
“It’s already the second-biggest Ebola epidemic on record, and it’s moving faster than any previous Ebola outbreak. At its current pace, it’s on track to eclipse the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press briefing in Geneva last Wednesday.
Health authorities and international partners continue to intensify efforts to contain the spread of the virus and prevent further loss of lives.