DR Congo’s new Ebola outbreak is the deadliest the country has experienced, with more than 2,325 deaths recorded since the health emergency was declared on 15 May.
Health authorities report 4,945 confirmed cases, with 101 new cases just in the last 24 hours, and the virus has spread to six of the country’s 26 provinces.
Compared with the West African epidemic that lasted 2014‑2016, this current outbreak reached 2,000 deaths in only three months, and hospitals warn it may have been circulating undetected since February.
The virus strain, Bundibugyo, is the rarest of all Ebola species and currently has no approved vaccine. However, several vaccine candidates—one using the same technology that produced the AstraZeneca Covid‑19 vaccine—are in development.
The World Health Organization says it aims to bring transmission under control within three months, though ending the outbreak entirely will be more challenging.
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has granted permission to start the first human trials of a vaccine for Bundibugyo, and WHO is also running a trial testing existing antiviral therapies to improve patient survival.
For more information, visit BBC Africa.
