The death toll from the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has risen to 2,011, health authorities said on Tuesday, bringing the epidemic close to the country’s deadliest recorded outbreak. The outbreak, which is the DRC’s 17th Ebola epidemic, began in the northeastern province of Ituri before spreading to other provinces, including North Kivu. The scale of the outbreak has raised concerns among health authorities and international partners. The current toll is approaching the nearly 2,300 deaths recorded during the DRC’s 2018–2020 Ebola outbreak, which recorded about 3,500 cases. Vaccine offers possible hopeMeanwhile, international health experts are preparing to test whether an existing Ebola vaccine can offer protection against the strain responsible for the current outbreak.