Ebola death toll in Congo surpasses 1,500 in fastest-ever outbreak

Kinshasa, DRC – The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed more than 1,500 lives, marking a grim milestone. In just one week, the number of fatalities has surged by over 50%, according to the Congolese government. This rapid escalation has made the current outbreak the fastest-growing in Ebola's history.

As of Tuesday, health officials have recorded a total of 3,442 Ebola cases, with 1,521 resulting in death. The virus responsible for this outbreak, identified in mid-May, is the Bundibugyo Ebola virus. Critically, there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments available for this specific strain, contributing to its high mortality rate.

Experts estimate the fatality rate to be around 44%, meaning nearly half of all confirmed infections have been fatal. Health authorities also suspect a substantial number of unreported infections, suggesting the virus may have been circulating undetected for months before the official outbreak was declared in May.

This contrasts sharply with the Ebola outbreak from 2014 to 2016, the deadliest on record, which saw over 11,000 deaths from at least 28,000 cases. However, it took approximately eight months during that period to reach 1,000 deaths. Meanwhile, Uganda has declared its Ebola outbreak over, having recorded 20 infections and two deaths.