Ebola outbreak is fastest-growing in history as cases soar beyond 2,000 with 750 dead

Ebola outbreak is fastest-growing in history as cases soar beyond 2,000 with 750 dead Strikes by unpaid health workers have dealt another blow to efforts to contain the world's fastest-growing Ebola outbreak, with more than 2,000 confirmed cases and over 750 deaths The current Ebola outbreak has become the fastest-growing in history, with more than 750 people dead. More than 2,000 cases including over 750 deaths had been confirmed in Eastern Congo. Suspected cases also emerged in two more provinces, including around Kisangani, one of the country’s largest cities, raising fresh fears over how far the virus has spread. The World Health Organization said 80% of new cases were linked to unknown chains of transmission, meaning health officials were unable to trace where most new infections were coming from, making it significantly harder to isolate cases and slow the spread of the virus. The outbreak’s origin had also yet to be identified. The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola - a form of the virus for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments. Unlike other strains, health officials have fewer tools available to tackle its spread. But researchers had started studying two potential Ebola treatments and began enrolling participants. The spiralling outbreak placed further pressure on the region’s already fragile health system. Efforts to tackle the virus were dealt another blow this week when unpaid staff went on strike at two health centres at the heart of the outbreak. Workers at a treatment centre in Ituri province, the outbreak’s epicentre, closed the facility and blocked access on Monday after weeks of dangerous work with little or no pay from the Congolese government. The striking staff included epidemiologists, case investigators, drivers and gravediggers. They later agreed to return on the condition they were paid within 72 hours. A second strike began at Bunia General Hospital on Wednesday, where workers barricaded the entrance. Any wider walkout across the overstretched and poorly equipped health system could deal another serious blow to efforts to contain the virus. Congolese officials said they were in talks to find a solution. The outbreak has spread through a region already grappling with limited infrastructure, armed conflict and false claims that Ebola was not real. Ebola can spread from infected wild animals to humans, before passing between people through direct contact with infected bodily fluids; including blood, vomit and semen. It can also spread through contaminated clothing, bedding and other materials. The deadly disease typically causes fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and severe muscle pain. In some cases it can also lead to internal and external bleeding. Authorities also restricted traditional funeral practices, including washing and preparing the bodies of loved ones, because the virus can continue to spread after death. The measures angered some local communities. Earlier this month, researchers began enrolling patients in a study of two possible treatments for the Bundibugyo virus. One is Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir, an antiviral approved to treat Covid-19 that has shown encouraging signs in laboratory testing. The other is Mapp Biopharmaceutical’s experimental MBP134, which uses antibodies engineered to target several Ebola viruses, including Bundibugyo. Researchers hope the trial will determine whether either treatment can become an effective option for patients infected with the virus.The WHO said patients would be randomly assigned to receive today’s best standard of care alongside remdesivir, MBP134, both drugs or neither. However, the UN body warned it could take months, and as many as 1,000 participants, before researchers knew whether either treatment worked. The study is currently being offered at just one Ebola treatment centre in Ituri province, although officials hope to expand it to other locations once it is safe to do so.