Ebola outbreak in DR Congo continues with more than 2000 cases now reported.

Aid workers in Congo. BBC/EPA.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now passed over 2000 cases. BBC. Two thirds of those cases have been fatal. The outbreak is the 2nd worst in history with only the 2013-2016 West Africa outbreak being worse. 1300 deaths have occurred and the number of cases has increased in recent weeks. There are major challenges to treating the diseases including general suspicion against health care workers and major violence in DR Congo. 

My Comment:

Just a quick update on the Ebola outbreak. With more than 2000 cases and 1300 deaths it seems as though the outbreak is still spreading and is not under control at all. It's very possible that the disease will spread beyond DR Congo and could even manage to reach western countries. 

I've already covered the specific challenges that health workers face in DR Congo. There are various militia groups running around killing people, including ISIS and others. Health care workers have been attacked and even killed. And people still don't even believe Ebola is a thing. 

However, there is one thing that is keeping the deaths down. In the wake of the 2013-2016 outbreak a vaccine has been developed. It has saved many lives but there aren't enough doses for everyone and many people are refusing it. Despite these difficulties I think the vaccine is a major reason that this outbreak hasn't overtaken the previous one as the worst ever. 

There isn't much hope that the outbreak will be ending anytime soon. DR Congo is just too primitive and unstable to deal with the outbreak. As bad as the last one was, Liberia, Sierra Leon and Guinea didn't have active insurgencies that made it worse. Until security is established in Congo, I just see this outbreak getting worse and worse. 

This outbreak hasn't been getting the media attention the last one did. Part of that is the fact that it isn't as bad as the previous one yet, but I think American media is out to lunch. They are obsessed with the President and won't cover anything that doesn't concern him. If the outbreak makes it out of DR Congo, especially if it hits a western country, that could change but until then I don't see them covering this story much.