The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed 600 lives, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), just days after the reported death toll surpassed 500.
The UN health agency’s latest figures show that the country has recorded 1,759 confirmed Ebola cases since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, with 600 confirmed deaths.
Neighbouring Uganda has also reported two Ebola-related deaths, while 17 of the country’s 20 confirmed patients have recovered.
WHO data, based on information from health authorities in the DRC, puts the outbreak’s case fatality rate at 34 per cent. The agency added that 285 patients have recovered, while 304 suspected cases remain under investigation.
The outbreak is concentrated mainly in Ituri Province in northeastern DR Congo and has spread across four provinces. Health authorities say the outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
A clinical trial involving two potential treatments — the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir — began in the DRC on July 2. The trial is assessing the effectiveness of the treatments individually and in combination.
Ebola is transmitted through close contact with infected individuals or exposure to their bodily fluids.
The current outbreak, the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the DRC, was declared on May 15 following a cluster of deaths in Ituri, a mineral-rich region that has also faced prolonged insecurity due to armed group activity.
