The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 2,325 people, making it the deadliest outbreak of the disease in the country’s history, according to government data released on Sunday.
The latest report from Congo’s public health institute showed 4,945 confirmed cases, including 101 infections detected over the previous 24 hours.
The death toll has now surpassed the 2,299 fatalities recorded during the country’s 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak, which had previously been Congo’s deadliest.
The current outbreak, the country’s 17th, had already become its largest by number of infections in late July.
Just three months after authorities formally declared the outbreak on May 15, it has become the world’s second-largest recorded Ebola epidemic, behind only the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak.
That epidemic killed 11,310 people among 28,616 recorded cases across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization.
The speed of the current outbreak has also raised concern among health officials. Congo crossed 2,000 deaths in less than three months, compared with nearly five months for the West Africa outbreak to reach 1,000 fatalities.
No approved vaccine or treatment
The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
Efforts to contain the virus have been hampered by weak health infrastructure, instability and resistance within some communities, making it harder for health workers to trace contacts and identify infections early.
Government data shows the case fatality ratio has risen sharply, from around 20% in early June to approximately 46%, meaning nearly half of confirmed patients are now dying.
Health specialists say the rising fatality rate does not necessarily mean the virus has become more dangerous. Instead, it is believed to reflect delays in identifying cases and getting patients into treatment.
Thomas Parisch, a public health specialist recently deployed to Congo with Médecins Sans Frontières, said many infections were still being detected only after patients had become seriously ill or died in their communities.
Normally, fatality rates should fall as an outbreak progresses and health authorities improve contact tracing and identify patients earlier, he said.
A limited number of experimental vaccines and therapies are currently being assessed, while international health authorities are examining whether existing Ebola treatments could provide protection against the Bundibugyo species. Evidence remains limited and largely based on animal studies.
The outbreak also spread into neighbouring Uganda, where authorities recorded 20 confirmed cases and two deaths before declaring the outbreak there over last month.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, including those who have died. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting and diarrhoea, while severe cases can lead to internal and external bleeding.