The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed two thousand, according to infohub.kz.
Government data released late Tuesday confirmed 4,381 cases, including 2,011 deaths. Authorities note that since the first confirmed case, the mortality rate has been rising nearly three times faster than during the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, which was considered the largest in history.
Humanitarian organizations say the virus is still spreading faster than response measures, which are being gradually implemented in five eastern provinces.
Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) have recommended full-scale clinical trials in humans for the only approved Ebola vaccine. The drug Ervebo has already proven safe and effective against the more common Zaire strain. Preliminary data, including animal trials, suggest Ervebo may also provide some protection against the rare Bundibugyo strain, which is currently spreading in Congo.
Recall that the new Ebola outbreak was confirmed in the DRC in May. At the time, authorities feared the virus would spread to neighboring countries. Later, the disease was also detected in Uganda. In response, the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Health clarified that the current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment worldwide.