A new Ebola epidemic is being recorded in the Central African country facing ongoing conflict in the east. According to officials, medics have registered over 3000 cases of the disease, including 1354 fatalities, as part of the seventeenth Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
These figures were announced on Sunday after the number of infections increased by approximately 1000 in just ten days. The total number of confirmed cases reached 3075 across five provinces, following the outbreak surpassing the 2000 case mark on July 15. Authorities noted that improved detection and testing methods contributed to identifying a larger number of infections.
The epidemic was declared on May 15 and is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 90 percent of cases have been recorded in the northeastern province of Ituri, which borders South Sudan and Uganda.
There is a risk that this outbreak could last for several more months. The situation is complicated by strikes among healthcare workers demanding unpaid wages, which disrupts operations in some hospitals. The Ebola virus itself, transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and causing hemorrhagic fever, has claimed the lives of over 15,000 people across Africa in the last fifty years.
Scientists are actively working on developing vaccines and treatments against the Bundibugyo strain. On Friday, Oxford University reported that the first group of volunteers received an experimental vaccine specifically designed to combat this virus. Furthermore, several other potential vaccines are undergoing accelerated preparation for clinical trials, and two possible treatments are also being developed.
According to official data published on Saturday, the number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has surpassed the mark of 3000.
Official health authorities in the DRC reported that the outbreak has registered 3075 confirmed cases. Among them, 1354 people have died, and 556 have recovered. Currently, 755 patients are in hospitals or in isolation.
The outbreak has affected five provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Auto-Uele, and Tshopo.
Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka stated on Friday that researchers are working on creating a treatment and vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus, which is the strain responsible for the current epidemic in the DRC.
Expressing hope that the vaccine and treatment could appear 'within two to four months,' she announced that the government has allocated funds for research, but did not provide further details on the stage of development or the expected approval process.
Currently, there is no approved vaccine or specifically licensed treatment for the Bundibugyo virus. Several experimental vaccines and therapeutic agents are currently undergoing clinical evaluation.
