BUNIA, Congo — Congo’s ongoing Ebola crisis has reached a devastating milestone, with official government health data released overnight Wednesday showing that at least 999 people have died from the disease.
According to the latest figures from Congo’s Ministry of Health, 2,473 total cases have been confirmed as of Sunday, resulting in the 999 deaths recorded so far.
The outbreak, which was officially declared on May 15, stands apart from most previous Ebola crises for a troubling reason — the specific strain behind it, the Bundibugyo virus, currently has no approved vaccines or treatments available.
Health officials say this outbreak has also proven deadlier at a faster pace than any other Ebola outbreak ever documented. That includes the devastating 2013-2016 outbreak, which remains the worst in recorded history with more than 11,000 deaths out of at least 28,000 cases. Even that catastrophic outbreak took roughly eight months to reach the 1,000-death mark.
While Ebola is considered a rare disease, it spreads easily through contact with bodily fluids including blood, vomit, and semen. The illness it causes is extremely serious and frequently fatal.
