The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has claimed more than 3,000 lives
The current outbreak, which began in the remote province of Ituri (northeast), is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
(File) Images of cemeteries in the DRC due to Ebola
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has already caused more than 3,000 deaths, according to the latest figures from Congolese authorities released on Wednesday and reported by AFP.
The outbreak, officially declared in mid-May, is affecting conflict-ridden areas in the east and northeast of the country.
So far, the virus has caused 3,007 deaths and infected 6,186 people, with a case fatality rate of 48.6%, according to figures published by the Congolese National Institute of Public Health (INSP). There have been approximately 1,409 recoveries.
More than 15,000 deaths in Africa over the past 50 years
Ebola, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and causes hemorrhagic fever, has caused more than 15,000 deaths in Africa over the past 50 years.
The worst epidemic on record in the DRC left nearly 2,300 dead among the 3,500 cases recorded between 2018 and 2020.
The current outbreak, which began in the remote northeast province of Ituri, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, against which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
The virus has spread to six provinces and is affecting areas where state presence is weak and where armed groups create constant insecurity.
Several treatments and vaccines are in the trial phase
Approved vaccines are only effective against the Zaire virus, which has caused the largest Ebola epidemics known to date.
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