The Ebola outbreak ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed the lives of more than 2,011 people this year, according to the latest official figures, raising fears it could become the country’s most devastating epidemic on record. Government data released late Tuesday evening revealed a total of 4,381 confirmed cases.

While the first 1,000 deaths took nearly nine weeks to accumulate, the second thousand were recorded in just three weeks—a stark indication that the health crisis is accelerating faster than containment efforts can keep up.

The surge in cases and fatalities is largely attributed to the immense challenges faced by health authorities in delivering critical support to remote communities. Persistent rebel violence, impassable roads, and healthcare staff strikes over unpaid wages have severely hampered response operations.

A “dire” situation was described by Dr. Jean-Marie Akandabo, who oversees patient care at a local clinic in Ituri, in the northeast of the country. He urgently called for intensified efforts to reach affected areas and curb the spread.

This marks the 17th wave of the deadly hemorrhagic fever in the DRC, already recognized as the largest outbreak in the nation’s history. “This outbreak could well become the deadliest ever recorded,” warned Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the global vaccine alliance.

With a fatality rate of 45.9%, the current epidemic far exceeds the 39.6% mortality rate recorded during the West Africa Ebola crisis between 2014 and 2016, which remains the deadliest in recorded history with over 11,000 deaths and 28,000 cases.

State of emergency declared

Officially declared on May 15, health officials now confirm that the virus had already been circulating since February. Authorities have since declared a national health emergency in response to the escalating crisis.

What sets this outbreak apart from previous ones is the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccines or treatments currently exist. Clinical trials for experimental vaccines have begun in Ituri Province, the epicenter of the epidemic in eastern Congo.

Humanitarian workers report that the outbreak continues to outpace the expanding response across the five eastern provinces affected. Widespread strikes among healthcare personnel have further crippled efforts, as staff protest unpaid wages since the outbreak’s declaration. The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that most new cases are appearing outside monitored contact chains, signaling that the virus continues to evade containment.

“Without an effective vaccine, controlling this outbreak hinges on identifying cases early and isolating patients in secure facilities until recovery or, tragically, death,” explained Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. “In remote regions like this, where conflict rages and communication lines are severed, traditional surveillance becomes nearly impossible—and early detection to prevent spread may be unattainable.”

On Friday, WHO vaccine experts recommended launching a large-scale human trial of the only currently licensed Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, to assess whether it provides cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain currently driving the DRC outbreak—one for which no specific vaccine exists.

Ervebo has proven safe and effective against the Zaire strain, the most common Ebola variant. Preliminary data, including animal studies, suggest it may offer some protection against the rare Bundibugyo strain fueling the current crisis. Two additional vaccine candidates against the Bundibugyo strain are in early human trials, with a third in advanced development.

Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, admitted that authorities are “running after the virus, which has a head start.”

Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids and causes severe hemorrhagic fever. The virus was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.