The death toll from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s deadliest Ebola outbreak has surpassed 3,000, according to the latest figures released by health authorities on Wednesday.
The outbreak, which has affected the conflict-ridden eastern and northeastern parts of the country, has killed 3,007 people and infected 6,186 others, the Congolese National Institute of Public Health said.
The fatality rate stands at 48.6 per cent, while 1,409 patients have reportedly recovered, according to the institute.
Ebola is a viral disease transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever. The disease has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past five decades.
The previous deadliest Ebola outbreak in DR Congo occurred between 2018 and 2020, when nearly 2,300 people died from about 3,500 reported cases.
The current outbreak began in the remote northeastern province of Ituri and is being caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the strain.
The virus has since spread to six provinces, affecting areas where government presence is limited and insecurity remains widespread due to the activities of armed groups.
Health authorities are also facing significant challenges in responding to the outbreak, with limited resources, a surge in cases and widespread mistrust in some communities hampering containment efforts.
Several vaccines and treatments are currently being tested against the Bundibugyo strain.
Existing approved Ebola vaccines are effective only against the Zaire strain, which caused the largest known Ebola outbreak on record.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has recommended a Phase III clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of Ervebo, a vaccine developed against the Zaire strain, against the current outbreak.
WHO experts have not yet established whether Ervebo can protect humans against the Bundibugyo strain, although preliminary data suggests it could provide some level of protection.
A shipment of 16,250 doses of the vaccine for frontline healthcare workers arrived in DR Congo at the end of last month, with vaccination beginning shortly afterwards in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo Province in the northeast.
