Fastest Ebola outbreak in history surpasses 5000 cases as vaccines arrive in Congo

More than 5000 Ebola cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the World Health Organisation’s Regional Office for Africa .

Since May, 5021 people have been confirmed as infected with the highly contagious disease, while 2378 patients have died — corresponding to a case fatality rate of 47.4 per cent.

More than 1000 patients have recovered, according to Congolese health authorities.

The outbreak was declared in mid-May and marks the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the central African country. However, WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned the true number of infections could be significantly higher .

Studies indicate the outbreak may have begun as early as February, Africa CDC director-general Jean Kaseya said in his most recent assessment of the situation.

“We have no clue about what happened from February to May,” Kaseya said.

Nearly two-thirds of confirmed Ebola deaths are being recorded outside hospitals and isolation facilities, in villages and local communities, Africa CDC said.

As long as people with symptoms are not isolated, they can transmit the virus through contact with bodily fluids such as blood, sweat or saliva, including while caring for a patient or sharing food.

World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Ebola outbreak remains a global emergency.

“Updated recommendations to the government of DRC and other countries at risk will be issued in the coming days,” Tedros said on X.

Congo will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which has been effective in past Ebola outbreaks, a step seen as a major boost to efforts to contain what officials have described as the fastest Ebola outbreak in history. The Ervebo vaccine is licensed for use against Ebola virus, one of the viruses that cause Ebola disease, but not for Bundibugyo strain which is responsible for the current outbreak.

WHO said while it was not known whether Ervebo might protect against the Bundibugyo virus, “early laboratory and animal data suggest it might provide some protection”.

The allocation included 20,000 doses for a phase 3 clinical trial to understand the impact of the vaccine on the Bundibugyo virus, the agency said on Thursday.

The remaining 50,000 doses will be used for front-line and health workers as recommended by WHO experts.