Overview
- Government data released Saturday showed confirmed cases rose to about 3,075 with roughly 1,354 deaths, marking an unusually rapid acceleration in the outbreak.
- The epidemic is caused by the rare Bundibugyo ebolavirus for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment, so containment relies on testing, contact tracing and isolation.
- Escalating armed attacks in Ituri and North Kivu have displaced tens of thousands and forced humanitarian teams to suspend movements, making it harder to find and isolate cases.
- Frontline services are breaking down as more than 100 health workers have been infected and dozens have died, and strikes over unpaid bonuses at treatment centres have paralyzed patient care.
- International teams have opened clinical trials and an Oxford vaccine study has begun dosing volunteers, but trial results and wide access are months away and face major security and logistical hurdles.