World’s Second Deadliest Ebola Outbreak

Following the last Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016 which killed upwards of 11,000 of the more than 28,000 people that tested Ebola-positive, another outbreak has plagued the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This is the tenth outbreak of Ebola that has occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ebola is a viral disease transmitted through contact with blood and secretions of infected people. It has a relatively lengthy incubation period of eight to 21 days.  

 Of the 647 people who have reported Ebola-like symptoms in the DRC, 600 have tested Ebola-positive and the number is rising. 396 people have already died of confirmed or probable Ebola. This puts the fatality rate around 61 percent, whereas previous outbreaks have had fatality rates between 25 and 90 percent.

Since August, an estimated 60,000 people have been vaccinated but without the current vaccination teams, no more than 10,000 people would have been vaccinated to date. This outbreak is the first time vaccination for prevention as well as therapeutic treatments is available for Ebola victims. Unfortunately, health workers aiding victims in the DRC face outside challenges such as sporadic attacks from armed groups in volatile borderlands and resistance from the local population.  The outbreak is predicted to last for several more months.