The Democratic Republic of Congo registered more than 6 thousand confirmed ebola cases and nearly 3 thousand deaths in an epidemic already considered the most severe in the country's history. The country declared its 17th ebola epidemic in mid-May, which in just three months became the deadliest ever recorded in the DRC, surpassing the previous outbreak that hit eastern Congo between 2018 and 2020.
The outbreak began in the Ituri province, in the northeast of the country, and is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The epidemic spread rapidly through six provinces in the north and east of the country.
The affected regions are marked by weak state presence and constant activity of armed groups, which hinders efforts to combat the disease. Since the beginning of the outbreak, 6,041 confirmed cases have been registered, with 2,911 deaths.
