Confirmed Ebola cases in Congo outbreak top 1,000, with more than 250 deaths

Rare Bundibugyo strain fuels deadliest early phase with no vaccine or treatment

Congo’s Ministry of Health confirmed 1,003 cases and 100 recoveries since the epidemic was declared on 15 May in Ituri province.

The specific virus involved, gaps in case detection and contact tracing, and the complex security and humanitarian situation in eastern DRC have all made it difficult to determine when the outbreak will stabilize.

The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment, and it was the country’s worst on record in its first month.