Ebola Outbreak In DR Congo: Cases Rise To 3,200, Death Toll Reaches 1,405 As Virus Spreads

Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have risen to 3,200, with at least 1,405 deaths reported as cases surge by around 1,000 in 10 days and the outbreak spreads across five provinces.

According to Al Jazeera, government figures released on Sunday showed the scale of the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak, which was declared on May 15. The outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said nearly 90 per cent of reported cases have been recorded in the northeastern province of Ituri, which borders South Sudan and Uganda. The virus has now been detected in five provinces, including two new provinces where it has spread recently.

Al Jazeera reported that humanitarian and medical teams are facing difficulties reaching affected areas as they work to control transmission. Hedley Tah of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) said the challenge for aid groups was reaching communities affected by the outbreak.

“In many cases the humanitarian community wants to help, but the real challenge is getting there”, said Hedley Tah of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), which flies medics and response teams to crisis front lines.

UNHAS has been supporting the response by transporting healthcare workers and other personnel involved in outbreak control efforts. Tah also said the agency was helping move samples needed for laboratory testing.

Tah added that UNHAS is “moving samples for lab testing to ensure traceability can continue”.

Authorities have said improved detection and testing methods have helped identify more infections during the outbreak. However, response operations have also been disrupted by strikes by healthcare workers demanding unpaid wages, affecting some hospitals involved in managing cases.

The outbreak could continue for several more months as teams work to expand surveillance, testing and medical support in affected areas.

Ebola spreads through contact with infected body fluids and can cause haemorrhagic fever. The disease has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past 50 years.

Scientists are working to develop vaccines and treatments targeting the Bundibugyo strain. Al Jazeera reported that Oxford University said on Friday that the first group of volunteers had received an experimental vaccine designed to protect against it.

LiveMint reported that the vaccine candidate has received approval in the United Kingdom to begin human trials. Researchers are studying whether the vaccine can provide protection against the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.

Several other vaccine candidates are also being fast-tracked for clinical trials, while two potential treatments remain under development.

The international humanitarian response continues to focus on reaching affected areas, transporting medical teams and maintaining laboratory testing systems to track the spread of the virus.

The current outbreak adds to the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s previous Ebola outbreaks, with health workers continuing efforts to limit transmission while dealing with access challenges and disruptions to medical services.