The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now claimed over 1,354 lives, with government data released on Saturday showing a 40% increase in deaths within just five days. Disease experts describe this rate of escalation as unprecedented in the history of Ebola. Total confirmed cases, including deaths, now stand at 3,075, representing a 27% increase from the figure recorded the previous Saturday. The outbreak was declared in May, and it reached 1,000 deaths in under 10 weeks.
Unprecedented Speed Compared to West Africa Epidemic
For context, the 2013–2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic—the deadliest on record with over 11,000 deaths and 28,000 cases across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone—took approximately eight months to reach the 1,000-death mark. The current outbreak in eastern DRC is moving far faster, driven by a combination of insecurity, lack of medical countermeasures, and a challenging public health environment.
Bundibugyo Variant: No Vaccine, No Treatment
The strain driving this crisis is the Bundibugyo variant, the rarest of the four Ebola types known to infect humans. Unlike other variants, Bundibugyo currently has no approved vaccine or treatment. This lack of medical countermeasures has heightened fears among health officials. Abdulsalami Nasidi, a public health consultant who helped establish the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, told Al Jazeera that the absence of a proven vaccine meant the virus was "spreading like a wildfire." He added that the epidemic was unfolding in an area of active conflict, which was deepening the shortage of public health resources already common across the region. In a post on social media last week, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned: "If we do not stop it today, this will become the worst outbreak the world has ever documented."
Experimental Vaccine Trial Underway
Scientists are working urgently to change that trajectory. The University of Oxford's Oxford Vaccine Group said on Friday that a volunteer had received the first dose of a rapidly developed experimental Bundibugyo vaccine. Chief investigator Katrina Pollock called it "an important milestone for the trial, and marks the next phase in our multinational collaborative journey to develop a Bundibugyo ebolavirus vaccine." The trial is being conducted in partnership with other research institutions, though full results are not expected for several months.
Health Workers Strike Amidst Crisis
The response inside the DRC is under severe strain. More than 100 health workers have been infected since May, and around 35 have died. Shortages of protective equipment and, in some areas, community scepticism about whether the disease is real have added to the pressure on overstretched medical staff. On Saturday, workers at the Elikya Ebola Treatment Centre in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, which is the epicentre of the outbreak, went on strike over unpaid bonuses and dangerous working conditions. About 100 staff held a protest outside the centre, and activities were largely brought to a halt. "We need to be paid, because in the meantime the disease is spreading at the treatment centre," striking worker Martin Bolombi told The Associated Press. "I've already had five people die who are still inside there. A solution must be found for us."
WHO Warns of Underreporting and Calls for Ceasefire
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the real case count could be more than double the official figure, as insecurity prevents responders from reaching all affected areas. He has called for a ceasefire in eastern DRC, arguing that without political action to open access, the virus risks spreading into provinces not yet affected. The Bundibugyo variant's lack of approved vaccine or treatment fuels fears of uncontrolled spread, while the strike at the Bunia treatment centre highlights the deteriorating conditions for frontline workers. International health organizations are urging immediate funding and security measures to contain the outbreak before it becomes even more catastrophic.
