More than 3,000 people have died of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the latest figures show, as the World Health Organisation says trials of three potential vaccines against the strain behind the current outbreak should begin within weeks.
The latest official toll released by the Congolese National Institute of Public Health on Wednesday showed 6,186 confirmed cases and 3,007 deaths, making a fatality rate of 48.6 percent.
A total of 1,409 people have reportedly recovered.
The outbreak, which was declared on 15 May in the remote northeastern province of Ituri, has spread to six provinces in areas where the presence of the Congolese state is weak and insecurity is widespread due to the presence of armed groups.
The health response has been overwhelmed by the number of cases, while the insecurity – as well as community resistance – have made it harder to identify and treat patients early.
The WHO estimates that around 60 percent of deaths happen outside treatment centres, highlighting the challenges of detecting cases before people die of the disease.
Vaccine candidates
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.
The WHO said trials of three potential vaccines should begin by October or November.
"Two new vaccines against Bundibugyo virus are now in safety trials in the UK and Canada," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva.
The WHO has also recommended a full-scale human trial of Ervebo, a vaccine approved for use against the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, to determine if it offers any protection against Bundibugyo.
Early data suggests that Ervebo, which is made by Merck, could offer some degree of protection.
A batch of 16,250 Ervebo vaccines arrived in the DRC in July for frontline medical personnel, and vaccination began shortly afterwards in Kisangani, the capital of northeastern Tshopo province.
WHO vaccines chief Kate O'Brien said healthcare workers should receive the vaccine only as part of research into whether it is effective against the Bundibugyo strain or not.
(with newswires)
