Congo Ebola Deaths Exceed 1,000 in Fastest-Growing Outbreak
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 1,000 deaths, with 2,536 cases reported since May 15, making it the fastest-growing outbreak on record. The Bundibugyo virus strain responsible has no approved vaccines or treatments. Dr. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa CDC, highlighted the lack of vaccines, medicine, and funding as contributing to fatalities. The current outbreak is spreading faster than health officials can track, compared to the 2013-2016 outbreak which took eight months to reach 1,000 deaths. A Merck Ebola vaccine licensed for the Zaire virus may offer some cross-protection against Bundibugyo, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study, but the WHO has shown lukewarm support for testing it in Congo. Bundibugyo-specific vaccines remain months away from clinical trials.
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