At least 2,000 people have died among confirmed cases in DR Congo's Ebola outbreak, which is the fastest growing on record. Data published overnight into Tuesday showed 4,381 confirmed cases, including 2,011 deaths, with 704 patients in isolation in hospitals.
Rapid escalation
The toll comes nearly three months after the outbreak was declared on May 15. While it took about nine weeks to record 1,000 deaths, it took just around three weeks to record the additional 1,000, underscoring complaints from responders that help is not getting quickly enough to remote localities.
Unusual virus
Unlike most previous Ebola outbreaks, the rare Bundibugyo virus responsible has no approved vaccines or treatments. The World Health Organisation said on Monday that it started in February, long before authorities detected it in one of DR Congo's most remote and vulnerable areas.
The first Ebola virus was identified in 1976 near the Ebola River. The current outbreak is the 17th—and largest—the Central African nation has faced.
