DR Congo Ebola crisis tops death toll, becoming nation’s deadliest outbreak

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak has now claimed 2,325 lives, exceeding the previous record of 2,299 deaths from the 2018-2020 crisis. The National Public Health Institute recorded 4,945 confirmed cases, with 101 additional infections identified in the last 24 hours. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the situation as the fastest-growing outbreak ever and urged swift, coordinated response.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that, at its current speed, the epidemic could eclipse the 2014-2016 West African outbreak that killed over 11,000 people. The disease is caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, for which no licensed vaccine or therapy exists, and the case-fatality ratio has climbed from about 20 % in early June to 46 %. Public-health specialist Thomas Parisch of Doctors Without Borders noted that many cases are being detected late, reducing treatment effectiveness, while experimental vaccines and therapies remain under limited evaluation.