Congo’s Ebola outbreak is on track to surpass the deadliest one in history, WHO chief says
- The ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo is on track to surpass the deadliest one in history, which killed over 11,000 people.
- The outbreak in eastern Congo has killed over 2,000 people out of more than 4,300 cases.
- This outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccines or treatments.
- Health authorities indicated that the outbreak began months earlier than the official declaration on May 15.
- The outbreak is moving faster than efforts to track and manage it due to ongoing conflict and poor infrastructure.
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo is on track to surpass the deadliest one in history, which erupted over a decade ago and killed over 11,000 people, according to the head of the World Health Organization. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that at its current pace, this outbreak is expected to eclipse the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016.
The outbreak in eastern Congo, considered the fastest-growing one yet, has resulted in over 2,000 deaths out of more than 4,300 reported cases. Although the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, health authorities have indicated that genetic sequencing shows it began months earlier, in February.
This outbreak is unusual compared to recent Ebola outbreaks because it is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which currently has no approved vaccines or treatments. Efforts to develop solutions are underway, but the outbreak is reportedly moving faster than the response efforts in a region facing ongoing conflict and poor infrastructure.
刚果的埃博拉疫情有望超过历史上最致命的疫情，世卫组织负责人表示
刚果的埃博拉疫情有望超过历史上最致命的疫情，该疫情在十多年前爆发，造成超过11,000人死亡，世卫组织负责人表示。特德罗斯·阿达诺姆·盖布雷耶苏斯指出，按照目前的速度，这次疫情预计将超过2014年至2016年的西非埃博拉疫情。
东刚果的疫情被认为是迄今为止发展最快的疫情，已导致超过2,000人死亡，报告病例超过4,300例。尽管该疫情于5月15日正式宣布，但卫生部门表示，基因测序显示其早在几个月前，即2月份就已开始。
此次疫情与最近的埃博拉疫情不同，因为它是由罕见的Bundibugyo病毒引起的，目前尚无批准的疫苗或治疗方法。虽然正在进行解决方案的开发，但据报道，该疫情的发展速度超过了在一个面临持续冲突和基础设施薄弱的地区的应对努力。