Ebola Cases in DR Congo Pass 11,000, With 5,387 Deaths

The update

Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have reached 11,042, with at least 5,387 deaths, according to the latest government data. The outbreak, declared in May, is the largest and deadliest in the country’s history and has affected eight of its 26 provinces. It is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or treatment has been developed specifically. Many deaths have occurred outside treatment centres.

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Why it matters

The outbreak is now the second-largest and second-deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, behind only the 2014-2016 West African epidemic, which infected more than 28,000 people and killed more than 11,000. Health authorities say delayed detection, conflict and strained health services have driven faster spread, and cases have been reported across East, Central and West Africa, giving it the widest geographic spread of any Ebola outbreak on the continent.

What to watch

Watch containment efforts in the affected provinces and whether cases spread further. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization approved clinical trials of two new Ebola vaccines, with results expected in early 2027.

Sources

• aljazeera.com — confirms the case and death totals, the Bundibugyo strain and the vaccine trials
• thehindu.com — confirms the totals, the eight affected provinces and the factors hampering containment

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