Ebola outbreak in Congo kills over 2,000, second largest ever recorded
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed over 2,000 people, making it the second largest ever recorded, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO warns it could surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic at its current rate. The outbreak has caused 2,061 deaths and 4,449 reported infections across five provinces and 53 health zones. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated it is spreading faster than any previous Ebola epidemic, with current efforts focusing on surveillance and contact tracing. For the first time, two vaccines specifically designed against the Ebola Bundibugyo virus have entered phase 1 human clinical trials. Additionally, promising animal studies on the Ebola Zaire vaccine have led the WHO to recommend phase 3 trials, while a therapeutic study has enrolled 100 patients.