The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is on track to surpass 4,000 cases this week and has been described as the fastest spreading on record since it was officially declared in May.

How Fast is it Spreading?

Health officials say the current epidemic is spreading five times faster than previous outbreaks did at this stage. The current epidemic reached 2,000 confirmed cases in roughly two months, becoming the largest Ebola epidemic ever recorded in the country less than three months after it was officially declared.

A 2018-2020 outbreak in Congo was previously the largest on record in the country, ending with 3,481 cases and 2,299 deaths recorded over two years. The rare Bundibugyo species of the virus spread undetected for months before the outbreak was declared in May.

Challenges in Containment Efforts

Delayed detection, overwhelmed surveillance, military conflict, and a lack of vaccines and treatments for the species of the virus involved have allowed the disease to outrun containment efforts this time. The outbreak is concentrated in eastern Congo, a region affected by violence for decades, where conflict has delayed access to communities, disrupted the movement of personnel and supplies, and complicated contact tracing.

Aid cuts have affected both surveillance efforts that might have caught the disease earlier and the ongoing effort to contain it. As of mid-July, the World Health Organization had received less than half the funding needed to fight the eastern Congo outbreak. Health workers have also protested over unpaid salaries.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.