By
- Mark Heim | mheim@al.com
The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that the Ebola outbreak in Congo is on track to surpass the deadliest one in history
“At its current pace, it’s on track to eclipse the West African Ebola outbreak of 2014 to 2016,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters
That outbreak killed more than 11,000 people, the head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday
According to The Associated Press, the outbreak in eastern Congo, considered the fastest-growing one yet, has killed more than 2,000 people out of more than 4,300 cases
The outbreak was declared on May 15, but health authorities now say sequencing showed it began in February
The AP reports the rare Bundibugyo virus responsible for the outbreak has no approved vaccines or treatments
Experts said the outbreak is moving fast in a remote part of eastern Congo, near the borders with South Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda
Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, WHO’s director for health emergency alert and response operations, said the agency expects the peak of the outbreak to be reached in six months
“But … that’s the moderate scenario,” Mahamud said. “There is a one-case scenario where this outbreak may last nine months to 12 months.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report
