Ebola death toll in DRC exceeds 2,000 as outbreak spreads rapidly
More than 2,000 deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ebola outbreak, which has confirmed 4,381 cases across five provinces, making it the fastest-growing on record.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported over 2,000 Ebola deaths since the outbreak was declared less than three months ago, with 2,011 fatalities confirmed as of Tuesday. Health authorities say 4,381 cases have been identified in five provinces, making the current spread the fastest-growing in the country's history and the second largest after the 2014-2016 West African epidemic.
"At least 1,000 of the deaths have occurred in the last three weeks," government data show.
The response has been hampered by health-worker strikes over unpaid wages, misinformation and cultural burial practices that may increase transmission risk. The virus involved is the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved treatment or vaccine exists. The World Health Organization said vaccine trials are under way but results could take months.
The WHO noted that the virus first appeared in the DRC in February, three months before the official outbreak declaration on May 15, which also included neighboring Uganda. Meanwhile, Israel's Ministry of Health reported that a citizen returning from the DRC is being tested for Ebola after developing a fever; the individual remains in isolation while results are awaited.