Ebola deaths in DRC surge past 1,300 as virus ‘spreading like a wildfire’

The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing an unprecedented Ebola crisis that has escalated dramatically in recent days. Government data released on Saturday indicated that confirmed cases and deaths had climbed to 2,973 as of Thursday, marking a 27 percent increase from the previous week's figures. The death toll alone has surpassed 1,309, representing a 40 percent rise in just five days.

This outbreak has become the fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic ever documented, driven by the Bundibugyo variant—the rarest of four known human Ebola strains. Unlike other variants, Bundibugyo currently has no approved vaccines or treatments available, creating significant challenges for containment efforts. Public health experts have warned that without immediate intervention, this outbreak could surpass the 2013–2016 West African epidemic, which killed more than 11,000 people over eight months. The current DRC outbreak has reached 1,000 deaths in less than ten weeks.

The situation is further complicated by the outbreak's location in an area experiencing active armed conflict, which has disrupted public health infrastructure and resources. Health workers have borne a particularly heavy toll, with more than 100 infected and approximately 35 deaths recorded since the outbreak was declared in May. Medical personnel face shortages of protective equipment and, in some communities, resistance from residents skeptical of the disease's existence.

International efforts to develop a vaccine are underway. The University of Oxford's Oxford Vaccine Group has begun human trials of an experimental Bundibugyo vaccine, with the first volunteer dose administered on Friday. Experts emphasize that immediate action is critical to prevent this outbreak from becoming the deadliest in recorded history.