The Democratic Republic of the Congo's Ebola outbreak has surpassed 4,000 confirmed cases with 1,850 deaths, after the WHO warned the epidemic was outpacing containment efforts. The World Health Organization on Friday recommended a large-scale clinical trial of the Ervebo vaccine, licensed for the Zaire strain, after preliminary animal data showed it offers some protection against the Bundibugyo variant driving the current crisis.
Gavi, which holds a global stockpile of roughly 500,000 Ervebo doses produced by Merck, said the outbreak could become the largest ever recorded. A phase 3 trial involving thousands of participants is expected to launch in DR Congo. Moderna is separately trialling a Bundibugyo-specific vaccine, while candidates from Oxford and Hilleman Laboratories are also in development.
Authorities intercepted the Yingfeng 2 cargo vessel on the Congo River, screening all 255 passengers after a suspect case died in Mongala province. A study published in Science indicated the virus was circulating in Ituri as early as January.