Ebola outbreak: Congo faces deadliest crisis with over 3,000 deaths

According to the latest government data released today, Congo’s Ebola outbreak has reportedly killed more than 3,000 people out of more than 6,100 confirmed cases as the disease spreads faster than containment measures can track and slow it.

The outbreak has recorded 6,186 confirmed cases including 3,007 deaths since it was declared a public health emergency in mid-May, becoming one of the fastest-growing Ebola ever on record.

The cases have surged in the last few weeks with two health zones affected last week in North Kivu where the death rate is significantly higher than the rest of the affected provinces.

The US Centers for Disease Control clarified in a Tuesday report that the virus mitigation strategies remained below the established response targets with a sudden increase in cases across multiple health zones, indicating exponential spread.

The disease has continued to spread for major reasons including conflict in the eastern region of the country, attacks on health workers, and due to substandard medical facilities.

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the outbreak is three times larger than the number of cases recorded.

The outbreak has already become Congo’s deadliest Ebola as no vaccine or approved treatment exists specifically for the current strain. In addition, only a limited supply of alternative vaccines is available to combat the disease.