Confirmed deaths from Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of Congo have reached 2,011 [1].
The surge represents a critical public health crisis because the current outbreak is progressing at the fastest pace ever recorded. Health authorities are struggling to contain a strain that lacks an effective vaccine or medical treatment.
The Bundibugyo strain is driving the current epidemic across Central Africa [1, 4]. The virus has spread through eastern regions of the DRC and into refugee camps, where crowded conditions facilitate rapid transmission [1].
Discrepancies exist regarding the scale of the crisis. While some reports from the World Health Organization as of May 16 cited over 200 deaths [3] and 2,073 confirmed cases [5], government data provided via MSN and AP indicates a much higher toll of 2,011 deaths [1] and 4,381 confirmed infections [2].
Containment efforts are being hampered by ongoing armed conflict in the region [4]. The violence prevents health workers from reaching affected populations and disrupts the establishment of treatment centers. This instability allows the virus to move undetected through displaced populations.
Health officials said the death toll on May 11 and continued to update figures through mid-May [1, 3]. The lack of a proven vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain means that supportive care is the only available option for those infected [4].
“Confirmed deaths from Ebola hemorrhagic fever in the Democratic Republic of Congo have reached 2,011.”
The intersection of a fast-spreading viral strain and active warfare creates a 'perfect storm' for a pandemic. Because the Bundibugyo strain evades existing Ebola vaccines, the DRC is unable to use the ring-vaccination strategies that slowed previous outbreaks. The disparity in death tolls between WHO and government reports suggests significant challenges in surveillance and data collection amidst the conflict.
