Ebola has already caused 2,642 deaths and 5,514 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have raised the number of deaths from the current Ebola outbreakto 2,642 and the number of confirmed cases to 5,514. This outbreak isthe second deadliest in history and the most infected in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo.

In addition, 808 patients are "isolated or hospitalized"and 1,200 people have managed to cure the disease . citation The contact reception rate - that is, the percentage of contacts of an infected person found by health services - is 83.4%.

Contagion continues in six Congolese provinces: Ituri (epicenter of the outbreak), North Kivu, Haut-Uele (east), Tshopo (centre-north), Bas-Uele (north) and South Kivu (east), but the latter has been without confirmed cases for more than 82 days.

The authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Friday received the first 16,520 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, which is expected to receive a total of 50,120 doses by 24 August, initially developed against the Zaire variant of the Ebola virus, which has shown signs of its possible effectiveness in animals.

In this context, two other vaccines specifically developed against the Bundibugyo variant are in phase 1 clinical trials with humans that "have been proven safe," according to the World Health Organization (WHO), although their development could take several months.

The epidemic, declared on 15 May in the east of the country, is already the second most serious outbreak in history and the largest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the outbreak in the same region of the Congo between 2018 and 2020, and is the fastest growing since the outbreak was declared compared to any previous outbreak.

The Ebola virus is transmitted through direct contactwith the body fluids of infected people or animals, and can cause severe hemorrhagic fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or internal bleeding, among others.