More than 3,200 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have caught Ebola, as a dangerous outbreak spreads rapidly across the country. In just ten days, health workers reported around 1,000 new cases, raising urgent concerns for communities and medical teams on the ground.
Official data shows that at least 1,405 people have died since the outbreak was declared on May 15. This current crisis is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or cure.
The World Health Organization reports that nearly 90 percent of all cases are concentrated in the northeastern province of Ituri, near the borders with South Sudan and Uganda. However, the virus has now expanded into five different provinces, including two areas where it appeared recently.
Delivering medical help to remote communities remains a severe challenge. Response teams rely heavily on United Nations aircraft to transport doctors, medical supplies, and lab samples to track infections. At the same time, response efforts in some hospitals have been disrupted because healthcare workers have gone on strike to demand unpaid wages.
Despite the difficult situation, scientists are moving quickly to find a solution. Researchers at Oxford University recently gave an experimental vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain to their first group of human volunteers. Other candidate vaccines and treatments are also being fast-tracked for clinical trials.