Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Becomes Deadliest in Country's History
[DW] An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now killed 2,325 people, according to government figures. The UN says one person in the country is dying every 30 minutes of the disease.
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has now claimed 2,325 lives, surpassing the previous record of 2,299 deaths from an outbreak in 2018-2020, according to government figures. The UN reports that one person in the country is dying every 30 minutes due to the disease. The outbreak, declared on May 15, began in northeastern Ituri province and has since spread to five other provinces, with a case fatality ratio rising from around 20% to 46%.
The disease is transmitted through infected bodily fluids and causes symptoms such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe bleeding. The current outbreak is the 17th in DR Congo and is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, with no approved vaccines or treatments available. The UN describes the outbreak as the fastest growing on record and the second most lethal, only surpassed by the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa, which recorded 28,616 cases and 11,310 deaths.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
