DR Congo’s Ebola Cases Surpass 4,000 as Outbreak Spreads Rapidly

Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have surpassed 4,000 for the first time in the current outbreak, according to government data.

The epidemic, which is the world’s second-largest Ebola outbreak, has been described as the fastest-spreading on record.

Experts believe infections began circulating months before the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, meaning the actual number of cases could be much higher than the official tally.

The country’s public health institute said in its latest report that the total number of infections had reached 4,053, including 1,850 deaths.

Cases have been reported in five provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tshopo.

A report published last month in the journal Science concluded that the outbreak may have started in January, or even earlier, in Ituri. Researchers identified more than 500 suspected cases between mid-January and May 15.

Delayed detection, overwhelmed surveillance systems, military conflict, and limited access to vaccines and treatments for the species of Ebola virus involved have allowed the disease to spread faster than containment efforts.

So far, the only Ebola outbreak larger than the current one was the 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa, which recorded more than 28,000 cases across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.