Death toll surpasses 2,300, making Ebola outbreak deadliest in DR Congo

The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with more than 2,300 deaths reported, according to the latest official figures released on Sunday.

The DR Congo has recorded 4,945 confirmed cases, including 2,325 deaths, since the current outbreak began, bringing the case fatality rate to 47.0 percent, according to a situation report released on Sunday by the country’s health authorities.

The latest death toll surpasses that of the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo, making the current epidemic the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country.

According to the World Health Organization, the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak that struck eastern DR Congo recorded 3,481 cases, including 2,299 deaths.

The current outbreak, which is the 17th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976, was officially declared on 15 May and is caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus.

The outbreak has affected 55 health zones across six provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, Haut-Uele, Tshopo, South Kivu and Bas-Uele.

The WHO has warned that the current Ebola outbreak in DR Congo could become the worst in history.

“This outbreak has become the second-largest Ebola epidemic in history, and it is spreading faster than previous Ebola outbreaks. At its current pace, it has the potential to surpass the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a press briefing in Geneva on Wednesday last week.

The West African epidemic of 2014-2016, the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, infected more than 28,600 people.