WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) could become the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
So far, more than 2,000 people have died and over 4,300 cases have been recorded in the current outbreak, making it the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record. WHO officials warn that the death toll could increase rapidly if health teams are not able to reach affected communities and control the spread of the virus soon.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that, if the outbreak continues at its current rate, it could become worse than the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people and caused about 28,000 infections. The WHO hopes to slow the spread of the virus within three months by bringing new infections under control. However, this does not mean the outbreak will completely end within that time.
Dr Abdirahman Mahamud of the WHO said the outbreak could reach its peak within six months under a moderate scenario. If the situation becomes worse, the outbreak could continue for nine to 12 months.
'We are chasing the virus, the virus is ahead of us,' WHO Africa director Dr Mohamed Janabi said at a news conference.
Stopping the outbreak has been difficult because many affected areas are remote and have ongoing conflict. Some communities are difficult for health workers to reach. In addition to this, poor infrastructure, limited medical resources, misinformation and strikes by health workers over unpaid wages have also worsened the situation.
Caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, the outbreak was officially declared on May 15, 2026, but genetic testing showed that the virus had actually been spreading since February. At present, there is no approved vaccine or treatment specifically for this strain.
Notably, the BBC reports that the UK's medicines regulator has approved the first human trials of a vaccine against Bundibugyo Ebola. The vaccine is being developed by researchers at the University of Oxford using technology similar to that used for the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Three other research groups are also working on vaccines, but their candidates have not yet reached human trials. Meanwhile, the WHO is also supporting a clinical trial in DR Congo to test whether two existing antiviral medicines can help more people survive the disease.
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