The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda has claimed more than 1,000 lives, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning that the deadly virus is spreading faster than response efforts can keep pace.
According to the WHO, a total of 2,493 cases have been recorded across the two countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has confirmed 2,473 infections, including 999 deaths, while neighbouring Uganda has reported 20 cases and two deaths.
The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15 after several fatalities were reported in the conflict-hit Ituri province. Since then, the outbreak has remained centred in the mineral-rich northeastern region, although infections have now been detected in four additional provinces.
Uganda’s cases have largely involved Congolese nationals who crossed the border. Authorities say the country has now gone three weeks without reporting a new infection, raising cautious optimism that transmission there has been contained.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned last week that the outbreak had “expanded faster than any previous outbreak” of Ebola over the past month.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, WHO incident manager for the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC, Thierno Balde, said that despite an intensified response, health workers were still struggling to catch up with the spread of the disease.
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment.
However, the WHO says there has been encouraging progress, with clinical trials for two experimental treatments, a vaccine and a post-exposure prophylaxis currently underway in affected areas.
