An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 2,325 people, surpassing the country’s previous deadliest outbreak between 2018 and 2020, government data shows.
The latest figures from the country’s public health institute put confirmed cases at 4,945, including 101 new infections recorded within 24 hours.
The outbreak, which was declared on May 15, has become the largest in DR Congo by both cases and deaths. It is now the second deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, behind the 2014 to 2016 West Africa outbreak that killed 11,310 people.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Health officials say weak healthcare infrastructure, insecurity and resistance within some communities are complicating efforts to detect and contain infections.
The case fatality rate has risen to about 46%, from around 20% in early June. Experts say the increase does not necessarily mean the virus has become more deadly, but instead reflects delays in identifying patients and providing treatment.
Experimental vaccines and therapies are being assessed, although evidence of their effectiveness remains limited.
The outbreak also spread to neighbouring Uganda, where authorities recorded 20 cases and two deaths before declaring the outbreak over last month.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected people and can cause severe fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in serious cases, internal and external bleeding.
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