The Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 6,000 confirmed cases and killed 2,911 people, making it the country’s largest outbreak on record and one of the fastest-growing Ebola epidemics ever recorded. More than 1,360 people have recovered.
Health authorities reported 6,041 confirmed cases and 2,911 deaths as of August 31, with 1,366 people recovering from the disease. The outbreak, declared on May 15, has spread across six provinces and dozens of health zones in the north and east.
The scale of the epidemic has already surpassed the previous record outbreak in the country, which recorded 3,317 cases between 2018 and 2020. The World Health Organization has described the current outbreak as the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the country and one that is expanding faster than previous epidemics.
Bundibugyo strain poses added challenge
The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare strain of Ebola for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific approved treatment. This has made controlling transmission particularly difficult as the virus continues to spread.
