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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the country’s deadliest on record, with 2,325 people killed, according to government figures released on Monday.
The outbreak has recorded 4,945 confirmed cases, surpassing the previous deadliest Ebola outbreak in the DRC between 2018 and 2020, which claimed 2,299 lives from 3,381 confirmed infections.
The United Nations has described the current outbreak as “the fastest growing on record,” warning that the virus is killing one person every 30 minutes in the country.
The outbreak began in the conflict-affected northeastern province of Ituri before spreading to five other provinces across the vast Central African nation, which has a population of more than 100 million people.
Authorities officially declared the outbreak on May 15, but health officials believe the virus had already been circulating for several weeks before the announcement. The outbreak marks the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in the country.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it hopes to contain the spread of the disease within three months, as health workers continue efforts to track infections, provide treatment and limit transmission.
Ebola is a highly infectious disease that spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever. The virus has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past five decades.
The deadliest Ebola outbreak globally occurred in West Africa between 2013 and 2016, when more than 11,300 people died, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Health authorities have continued to stress the importance of early detection, medical intervention and public awareness as the DRC battles one of its most severe Ebola outbreaks.
