DR Congo’s Ebola death toll surpasses 5,000 as virus continues to spread
Kinshasa: More than 5,000 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the latest outbreak of the virus was detected in mid-May, according to the count...
The death toll from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 5,000. According to data from the Congolese Ministry of Health reported by GBC Ghana and PBS NewsHour, there have been 5,026 deaths out of 10,351 confirmed cases, resulting in a case fatality rate of 48.6 percent. Caused by the Bundibugyo virus, the outbreak began in mid-May and caught authorities by surprise.
BBC World and BBC News report that the epidemic became the country's deadliest in its history in August, with the epicenter remaining in the north-east Ituri province, a conflict zone.
The current epidemic is the second largest in world history, trailing only the 2014 to 2016 West Africa outbreak. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo's history. While the Bundibugyo virus has no known vaccine or treatment, PBS NewsHour notes that 2,788 people have recovered, and health workers are treating patients based on symptoms. BBC World and BBC News state that cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda.
Dr. Patrick Otim, a programme area manager with the World Health Organization, described the milestone as tragic, noting the devastation to families and communities. The United Nations warned that the current outbreak is claiming lives much faster than previous epidemics. The country's previous deadliest outbreak, occurring between 2018 and 2020, recorded 2,299 deaths.
Brief written by urgent.news from Qatar Tribune, GBC Ghana, PBS NewsHour, BBC World, BBC News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
