Trial of Experimental Ebola Treatments Begins in DR Congo

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Kinshasa: A clinical trial of potential treatments for the strain of Ebola virus driving the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has begun, offering new hope as the death toll from the disease continues to rise.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the first patient has been enrolled in the trial, which is testing two antiviral drugs against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for this species of the virus.

The trial is being led by scientists in DR Congo, Belgium and the United Kingdom, with support from the WHO. Health officials said the study could help identify effective treatments for the highly infectious disease.

The outbreak, which began in May but is believed to have spread undetected for some time, has so far resulted in 1,460 confirmed cases and 452 deaths in DR Congo, according to WHO data. More than 200 people have recovered.

The disease remains concentrated in the eastern provinces of South Kivu, North Kivu and Ituri, but health authorities are investigating suspected spread to other regions after infected individuals travelled outside the main outbreak zones.

International health agencies have warned that the outbreak could become one of the largest on record due to delayed detection and ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo, where armed groups control large areas and complicate response efforts.

Pic Credit : AFP