By Ukumbi Afrika 
Kinshasa— The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history, with 2, 325 people killed as of Aug. 16, government data showed.
The latest toll surpasses the 2, 299 deaths recorded during the 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak, which previously held the record as the country’s worst outbreak.
Congo’s public health institute said confirmed cases had climbed to 4, 945, including 101 new cases recorded in the previous 24 hours.
The outbreak, the country’s 17th, has also become its largest by number of confirmed cases. It is now the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, behind the 2014–2016 West African epidemic that killed 11, 310 people across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Rapid spread raises concern
The current outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments. Experimental vaccines and therapies are being evaluated.
Health experts say the sharp increase in the fatality rate is linked largely to late detection, weak surveillance and delays in getting patients into treatment, rather than evidence that the virus itself has become more lethal.
The outbreak has affected six of the DRC’s 26 provinces, with Ituri in the northeast accounting for the majority of cases. The response has been complicated by insecurity, population displacement, weak healthcare infrastructure and difficulties conducting contact tracing.
The United Nations has warned that the epidemic is accelerating rapidly, putting additional pressure on an already fragile health system.
Beyond the immediate loss of life, the outbreak threatens to place further strain on healthcare services, disrupt economic activity and increase pressure on communities already affected by conflict and displacement.
Source: Reuters
Reporting: Akanksha Khushi, Bengaluru
Editing: Chizu Nomiyama