DR Congo Ebola Epidemic Passes 6,000 Cases, Nears 3,000 Deaths

The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded more than 6,000 confirmed cases and nearly 3,000 deaths from its Ebola epidemic, according to Congolese authorities' latest toll on Monday.

Over 1,360 patients have recovered from the disease. The World Health Organization stated the outbreak remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people primarily in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. The U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) said Friday that officials were responding to the situation in the Congo, noting no cases have been confirmed in the United States due to this outbreak.

The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a type of Ebola virus, for which no treatment or cure has been approved. This Bundibugyo strain is distinct from Ebola Zaire, the strain responsible for the West African outbreak a decade ago, for which a vaccine product exists. Emergency response efforts are complicated by limited health infrastructure, ongoing conflict creating security problems, violence against health care workers, shortages of personal protective equipment, population movement, cross-border travel, a lack of trust in government officials, and misinformation.

The eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, where the outbreak is concentrated, are among the least stable and most remote areas in the country, experiencing incessant fighting among militias and warlords. The DRC launched an Ebola vaccination campaign in Kisangani as part of its efforts to contain the spread.