Congo Ebola outbreak nears record levels with over 3,200 cases
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The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached 3,262 confirmed cases, approaching the scale of the country's largest recorded outbreak, according to the Ministry of Health.
Data from the Congolese health ministry showed that 1,437 patients have died in the current outbreak, which officials have described as the fastest Ebola outbreak recorded in the country. The outbreak is concentrated in eastern Ituri province.
The 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in Congo and neighbouring Uganda lasted nearly two years and recorded more than 3,400 cases, including over 2,200 deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The largest Ebola outbreak globally occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, with around 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.
The current outbreak was declared on May 15 and has spread rapidly amid concerns that several affected communities are difficult to access due to insecurity. Health responders have also faced attacks from angry residents and rebel groups.
"The fact that, in just 10 weeks, we have reached nearly the same number of cases recorded over an almost two-year outbreak is alarming," said Onesphore Bangenza, Mercy Corps response team lead in Bunia, Ituri's capital.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which differs from previous outbreaks because there are no approved vaccines or treatments specifically available for it.
Response efforts have been complicated by violence in eastern Congo and strikes by health workers protesting unpaid wages. Authorities are also struggling to identify the source of the outbreak, while displacement caused by armed conflict and illegal mining has made contact tracing difficult.
Despite challenges, some communities have begun supporting health efforts after initially resisting response teams.