Ebola Outbreak Intensifies in DR Congo with Rising Cases and Fatalities

Congo. Ebola infection is spreading rapidly in DR Congo. According to government data, the number of infected people has reached 3,200, and at least 1,405 people have died.

This outbreak, announced on May 15, is caused by the Zaire Ebola virus species, for which no approved vaccine or treatment is currently available. In the last 10 days alone, about 1,000 new infections have been added.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 90 percent of the infected are in the northeastern Ituri province. The infection has now spread to five provinces. Officials have stated that control efforts have also been affected by a strike due to a salary dispute among health workers.

Meanwhile, Oxford University has announced that the first phase of testing of an experimental vaccine developed against the Zaire species has begun in volunteers. Scientists have accelerated the development of potential vaccines and treatments.