Democratic Republic of Congo: Ebola death toll exceeds 5,000

Algiers, Oct 31 (KUNA) -- The Democratic Republic of Congo announced on Saturday that the death toll from the Ebola virus had surpassed 5,000 cases, as the country grapples with the spread of the disease amid new infections reported in other African nations. Data from the Congolese Ministry of Health showed that the disease has claimed 5,026 lives out of a total of 10,351 infected individuals, resulting in a case fatality rate nearing 50 percent. The ministry expressed concerns over the rising number of cases and the possibility that authorities may be unable to contain the deadly virus.

The latest outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared in mid-May, catching authorities off guard and leading to ongoing difficulties in controlling it. This outbreak ranks as the second deadliest Ebola epidemic in history, following the West Africa epidemic that lasted two years from 2014 to 2016 and killed 11,000 people across several countries.

To date, 2,788 people have recovered from the virus. Although there is no known vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo virus, healthcare workers provide supportive care to patients based on their symptoms.

Since May, the disease has spread across 67 of the country’s 178 health zones, distributed among eight of the 26 provinces. Fifty of the affected health zones continue to report active cases. The virus is concentrated in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in the Ituri and North Kivu provinces, which have become epicenters of the outbreak, accounting for 9,782 confirmed cases and 4,792 deaths.

Authorities continue to face challenges in contact tracing and conducting tests, both of which are crucial components of efforts to contain the outbreak. (End) M.R. / M.A.H.H.