An Ebola outbreak declared in the Democratic Republic of Congo in early September has left 42 people dead from 64 confirmed infections, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday, placing the case fatality rate at 42%.
Health officials in the country launched a vaccination campaign two weeks ago to curb the spread of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever, which has historically claimed tens of thousands of lives across Africa since it was first identified in 1976.
The current outbreak was reported in Kasai province, following the detection of new cases last month.
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WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus confirmed the figures in a post on X, noting that the agency and its partners were providing support for the national response.
While the risk of transmission within the DRC is considered high, the organisation has assessed the threat to neighbouring countries as moderate.
The United Nation (UN) health body attributed the persistence of the outbreak to gaps in protective equipment, delayed detection of cases, incomplete contact tracing, and unsafe burial practices.
It also pointed to population movement and reliance on traditional healers as factors that could drive further spread.
The Zaire strain of the virus, which is behind the latest resurgence, is covered by an existing vaccine.
The International Coordination Group on Vaccine Supply has already authorised the delivery of an additional 45,000 doses to strengthen the vaccination effort.
Ebola, which spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, can cause severe internal bleeding and organ failure including death.
The disease has claimed nearly 15,000 lives on the continent over the past five decades, with the deadliest outbreak in DRC between 2018 and 2020 resulting in almost 2,300 deaths.
