The number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has exceeded 2,000 confirmed cases and 754 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health. The outbreak, fueled by the rare Bundibugyo strain, has become the fastest growing on record, with health authorities warning that transmission is outpacing efforts to contain it.According to the Associated Press, government data released overnight showed 2,011 confirmed infections, with 753 people currently in isolation or being treated in hospital, while 366 patients have recovered.The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, was officially declared on May 15 after weeks of transmission going undetected, according to the World Health Organization.Earlier, the World Health Organization said that at least 80% of new infections arise from unknown transmission chains, which makes it more difficult for health authorities to contain the disease.
Contact tracing coverage currently stands at 67 percent, according to the Ministry of Health.Congolese health authorities said suspected cases of Ebola have now been reported in Tshopo and Haute Uélé provinces, suggesting the virus has spread beyond its original epicenter in Ituri.Response efforts remain under pressure, with health officials citing lack of funding, attacks on healthcare facilities and ongoing conflict in eastern Congo as major obstacles to containing the outbreak.But hope lies in new therapeutic trials. Clinical trials of potential treatments began earlier this month against the rare Bundibugyo strain, which currently has no approved vaccine or treatment.
