Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) warned late on 18th August that the response efforts were not containing the deadly disease, as confirmed Ebola cases now top 5,000 in the country.

Congo’s 17th Ebola epidemic ‌turned into the biggest in the country’s history ⁠in terms of number of cases in late July, and over the weekend ​the death toll hit 2,378, ‌the public health institute said, surpassing the previous worst outbreak in 2018-2020.

The institute has recorded 5,021 cases so far, in what is its latest situation report, and it is the second-largest outbreak on earth, following the outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2016 in both infections and deaths.

The current outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, a virus that hasn’t been treated or vaccinated against.

It has been gaining momentum since it was announced on May 15, and with weak health infrastructure, community resistance, instability and protests from response workers, efforts to find and respond to cases are hampered.