Ebola outbreak in DR Congo claims more than 3,000 lives

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s deadliest Ebola outbreak has claimed 3,007 lives, with the latest official toll released by the Congolese National Institute of Public Health on 2 September showing 6,186 confirmed cases and a fatality rate of 48.6%.

Further elaborating, the Congolese National Institute of Public Health said a total of 1,409 people have been reported to have recovered.

Ebola, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and causes haemorrhagic fever, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.

The worst outbreak previously recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo left nearly 2,300 people dead from 3,500 reported cases between 2018 and 2020.

The epidemic has hit the conflict-ridden east and north-east of the country.

The current outbreak originated in the remote north-eastern province of Ituri and is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.

The virus has spread to six provinces and is ravaging areas where the presence of the Congolese state is weak and insecurity is widespread due to the presence of armed groups.

The health response lacks sufficient resources and has been overwhelmed by the surge in cases, while there has been widespread mistrust in parts of the community.

Several treatments and vaccines are being tested against the Bundibugyo strain.

Approved vaccines are only effective against the Zaire strain, which is responsible for the largest known Ebola outbreak to date.

The World Health Organization has, in the meantime, recommended the implementation of a Phase 3 clinical trial using the Ervebo vaccine, which is deployed against the Zaire strain.

WHO experts are still unclear as to whether Ervebo protects humans against Bundibugyo, but initial data suggest that it could offer a degree of protection.

A batch of 16,250 doses for use by frontline medical personnel arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the end of August, and vaccination began shortly afterwards in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province in the north-east.

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