The number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is growing rapidly, and the epidemic has already claimed hundreds of lives.
The number of confirmed cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 1,155, with at least 304 deaths. This follows from official data published on Thursday, writes TASR according to a Reuters report.
Almost all cases are concentrated in Ituri province in the northeast of the country. It is a troubled region plagued by years of conflict and armed groups. The disease has affected three provinces in total: Ituri, neighboring North Kivu and South Kivu, which are home to approximately 15 million people. The virus has also spread to neighboring Uganda.
Lack of vaccine
The epidemic is caused by a rare strain of the Bundibugyo virus, against which there is no vaccine or specific treatment. Current Ebola vaccines, developed between 2018 and 2019, are only effective against the Zaire strain that caused previous major outbreaks. The World Health Organization therefore declared a public health emergency of international concern and warned that the epidemic could last for months.
