More than 2,000 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak since it was declared in May, making it the fastest-growing outbreak on record and the second-largest in history, behind only the devastating 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic.
Government data showed 4,381 confirmed cases and 2,011 deaths as of this week, with roughly half of those deaths occurring in just the last three weeks. Health authorities believe the outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus, actually began in February, months before it was officially declared in mid-May. The outbreak has a case fatality rate of 45.9%, higher than the 39.6% recorded during the 2014-2016 outbreak, as care is not reaching many patients in time.
The response has been complicated by conflict in eastern Congo between the Congolese military and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia, alongside poor roads and disputes over health worker pay in remote areas. There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, though the World Health Organization says vaccine trials are underway, with results likely still months away. The UN reports more than 300 children have died in the outbreak so far.