Ebola cases in Congo exceed 5,000, government data shows

Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak became the largest in the country's history by number of cases in late July.

Key points

• The institute has recorded 5, 021 cases so far, according to its latest situation report.
• The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.
• The outbreak has continued to grow since it was declared May 15.

Congo's 17th Ebola outbreak became the largest in the country's history by number of cases in late July. Over the weekend, the death toll reached 2, 378, according to the public health institute, surpassing the country's previous worst outbreak from 2018 to 2020.

In practice, the institute has recorded 5, 021 cases so far, according to its latest situation report. After the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa, this makes it the world's second-largest Ebola outbreak in terms of both cases and deaths.

For context, the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.

Notably, the outbreak has continued to grow since it was declared May 15. Subdued health infrastructure, resistance from local communities, instability and protests by response workers have produced it tough to identify cases and control the spread of the disease.

In short, ebola cases in Congo exceed 5, 000, government data shows is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.