Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo Becomes Deadliest in History | Ratopati

Kinshasa. The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has become the deadliest in the country’s history. According to government statistics, 2,325 people have died from Ebola so far, and 4,945 have been confirmed infected.

According to the latest data released by the DR Congo’s public health institution, 101 new infections were added in the last 24 hours. This is the 17th outbreak of Ebola in DR Congo.

Previously, the 2018-2020 outbreak was considered the deadliest Ebola outbreak in DR Congo. At that time, 2,299 people lost their lives due to Ebola. The death toll in the current outbreak has surpassed that record. DR Congo officially declared the current Ebola outbreak on May 15. The death toll exceeded 2,000 in less than three months.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2014-2016 was the largest in the world. The outbreak, which spread across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, infected 28,616 people and caused 11,310 deaths.

The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus. No vaccine or treatment has been approved for this species so far. Although some experimental vaccines and treatments are being tested, the evidence obtained so far is limited and mainly based on studies conducted on animals. According to government statistics, the death rate among confirmed infected individuals has reached about 46 percent, which was only about 20 percent at the beginning of June.

Despite the increase in the death rate, experts say it cannot be concluded that the virus has become more deadly than before. They state that the death rate may have increased due to late identification of infected individuals, weak surveillance, and lack of access to treatment. According to health expert Thomas Parish, under normal circumstances, as the outbreak spreads, contact tracing and early treatment become effective, and the death rate should decrease. However, in DR Congo, many infected individuals are identified very late or only after death.