The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is rapidly escalating, with the World Health Organization warning that it could surpass the scale of the devastating West African outbreak of 2014–2016.WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is currently progressing at a pace that could make it the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded.
More than 4,300 cases and over 2,000 deaths have been reported in the latest outbreak, making it one of the fastest-growing Ebola outbreaks in recent years. Although the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, health authorities say genetic sequencing indicates that the virus had already been circulating since February.
The outbreak is particularly concerning because it is being caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare Ebola species for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments. Scientists and health agencies are now stepping up efforts to develop and deploy medical countermeasures as the outbreak continues to spread.
The West African Ebola epidemic between 2014 and 2016 killed more than 11,000 people and triggered an international push to develop an effective Ebola vaccine.
