The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) could surpass the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record if it continues at its present pace, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned.
Tedros said the 2026 outbreak could “eclipse” the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak, which killed at least 11,000 people.
The outbreak, officially declared on May 15, has so far recorded at least 4,300 cases and more than 2,000 deaths.
The WHO said it hopes to bring transmission under control within three months, while stressing that this would not necessarily mean the complete end of the outbreak.
Health officials believe the outbreak began at least three months before it was officially declared. WHO Africa Director Dr. Mohamed Janabi said research indicates that the virus began spreading in February and was initially misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid.
The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has previously been responsible for only two known outbreaks, in 2007 and 2012. There is currently no approved vaccine or recognised therapeutic drug specifically available to treat this species, according to the report.
Ongoing instability in eastern DRC has further complicated efforts to control the outbreak. Janabi said health workers are currently reaching only around 30% of cases.
Ebola is a rare but potentially deadly viral disease. Symptoms can appear between two and 21 days after infection and may initially include fever, headache and tiredness. As the disease progresses, vomiting and diarrhoea can occur and may lead to organ failure.
The virus spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids such as blood or vomit.
Meanwhile, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved the first human trials of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo species.
The vaccine is being developed by a team at the University of Oxford using technology similar to that used for the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Three other groups are also developing potential vaccines, although they have not yet entered clinical trials.
The WHO is also supporting a separate clinical trial in the DRC to assess whether two existing antiviral treatments can improve survival rates.
Source: BBC
