Local officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo reported on Tuesday that deaths from Ebola virus disease have surpassed 2,000, with half occurring in the last 20 days. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species and declared by DRC health officials on May 15, has confirmed more than 4,000 cases and is the second-largest and fastest-growing on record.
Only West Africa's 2014 to 2016 outbreak, which caused more than 11,000 deaths, was larger. Three months into the current emergency, the death toll has already approached the total from the 2018 to 2020 epidemic, which involved fewer overall cases.
No approved vaccines or treatments exist for the Bundibugyo strain. Vaccine trials have been authorised in Canada and the UK, though results are expected several months away. Treatment trials are underway in the DRC's Ituri province, the outbreak's epicentre.
The virus's rapid spread has alarmed local health officials, who recently raised concerns about potential mutation. The director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently to investigate the threat. At least a dozen facilities treating Ebola have been attacked, largely due to fear, misinformation and community mistrust of outside authorities.
The response is further complicated by ongoing violence from non-State armed groups in eastern DRC and a lack of accessible healthcare. The UN's humanitarian aid office reported that at least 13 civilians were killed and more than 28,000 people fled following a Friday attack on the village of Banana École in Ituri. WHO noted that between 60 to 70 per cent of Ebola deaths occur in communities, with many patients unable to see a doctor until it is too late. "We, along with our partners, continue to support the response, but our work is hindered by insecurity," UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Tuesday.