The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached a reported 10,060 cases and 4,887 deaths since it was first identified in mid-May. The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo virus, for which no approved vaccine or targeted treatment exists, adding to the challenges facing health officials.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has called it the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record. Kenya has documented nine infections, two of them fatal, while Nigeria has confirmed a case involving a Swiss woman who had traveled to Uganda.
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Clinical trials are now examining possible antiviral drugs and testing whether existing Ebola vaccines offer protection against the strain. The virus spreads through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person and can trigger fever, diarrhea and, in some cases, bleeding.
