DR Congo Ebola death toll rises above 500 as outbreak deepens

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen above 500, according to the World Health Organization. Health authorities have recorded 506 deaths and 1,561 confirmed cases in the country, as the 17th Ebola epidemic continues to spread. The outbreak was officially declared on 15 May and is being driven by the Bundibugyo virus.

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The latest figures were published in a WHO situation report dated 4 July and released on Monday, based on reports from Congolese health authorities. The agency said the first month of the outbreak was the worst on record. It also said officials have not yet identified patient zero and still need to trace what could be tens of thousands of contacts.

The outbreak has prompted a wider response, including a clinical trial involving two treatments for this rare strain, which began on Thursday. The WHO has also granted emergency use authorisation for the first molecular diagnostic test for the virus. At the same time, health workers in the affected area have threatened strike action over low wages, unpaid benefits and poor working conditions, adding pressure to an already strained response.

The scale of the outbreak is significant because the Bundibugyo strain has no existing vaccine or approved treatment. Ebola is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and can cause haemorrhagic fever. The disease has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years, and the deadliest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 2018 and 2020 caused nearly 2,300 deaths from about 3,500 recorded cases.

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The current epidemic is centred on the mining town of Mongbwalu in Ituri province, which is considered the starting point of the outbreak. WHO data cited a high lethality rate of 50.7% there, underlining the difficulty of early treatment and access to care. The situation in neighbouring Uganda remains separate, with two deaths and 20 confirmed cases reported there.

What remains unclear is how far the outbreak has spread beyond the current confirmed figures and how quickly contact tracing can be completed. The response now depends on whether the new diagnostic test and trial treatments can improve detection and care in time. Health worker unrest may also affect the pace of containment if staffing and supplies remain limited.

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