The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported on Monday that the ongoing Ebola outbreak has now claimed 5,376 lives, marking it as the fastest-growing instance of the disease on record. The vast majority of these fatalities, totaling 5,372, occurred within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while two deaths were recorded in both Kenya and Uganda.
The current crisis is driven by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which causes haemorrhagic fever and is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids. There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for this specific strain. However, medical authorities have recently begun clinical trials for the Ervebo vaccine, which has proven effective against the more common Zaire strain of the virus.
The outbreak has expanded beyond the DRC into several other nations. Uganda previously recorded 20 cases, primarily involving individuals who had traveled from the DRC, before the country was declared Ebola-free in August. In October, Kenya reported its first-ever Ebola case, eventually documenting nine infections in total.
Also in October, Nigeria, the continent's most populous nation, reported a case involving a 42-year-old Swiss woman. The patient, whose husband works at the Swiss embassy in Abuja, had traveled to Uganda before returning home. Health officials continue to monitor the situation as the virus persists across the region.
