The epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the second largest Ebola outbreak in the world.

The epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak in the country's history and is considered the second largest epidemic recorded worldwide. Al Jazeera reported this.

 

The Congolese Ministry of Communication and Media reported that the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the country has reached 3,532. Thus, the current epidemic has surpassed the figures of the previous major outbreak observed in 2018–2020, which recorded nearly 3,470 patients.

 

Karl Skau, acting head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), told Reuters that this is the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic in history.

 

According to the Congolese Ministry of Health, 1,556 people have died as a result of the virus. The disease's mortality rate stands at 44.1 percent. Currently, 807 patients are being treated in hospitals and isolation centers, while 626 have recovered.

 

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), although less than three months have passed since the start of the epidemic, the number of deaths during this period is five times higher than at the same stage of previous Ebola outbreaks.

 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the only larger Ebola epidemic was recorded in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in 2014–2016. At that time, 28,616 people fell ill, and 11,310 died.

 

Experts note that the epidemic in the DRC was caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. There is currently no confirmed vaccine or specific treatment method against this strain.

 

Efforts to contain the epidemic are being hampered by the activities of armed groups in the east of the country, attacks on medical facilities, a reduction in international financial aid, as well as low public trust in the government and cases of seeking help from traditional healers.

 

Earlier this month, the WHO warned that the true scale of the epidemic could be four times greater than official statistics. Africa CDC stated that $1.4 billion is needed to bring the disease under control.

 

Currently, Ebola has spread in the Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tshopo provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.