The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has exceeded 5,000. According to the latest figures from the country's Ministry of Health as of October 31, a total of 10,351 people have been infected with the virus, of whom 5,026 have died. The fatality rate is approaching 50%, Medical Xpress reports.
The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, began in mid-May and has already become the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak in history. It is surpassed only by the 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa, which claimed approximately 11,000 lives. According to authorities, 2,788 people have recovered.
The most severe situation has developed in eastern Congo, particularly in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. The spread of the infection is being hampered by armed conflict, public distrust of healthcare services and a lack of resources. According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 80% of new cases are being detected outside known chains of transmission, making the outbreak more difficult to contain.
Another challenge has been disruptions to healthcare services caused by strikes among medical workers who have gone months without receiving their salaries. According to the World Health Organization, approximately one-third of those who died did so outside healthcare facilities, without having received medical assistance.
In October, Ebola cases were also confirmed in Kenya and Nigeria. Together with previously reported cases in Uganda, this made the current outbreak the first to affect three African regions and the most geographically widespread Ebola outbreak on the continent.
The Bundibugyo virus is a species of Ebola virus. There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for it, so patients receive supportive care aimed at alleviating symptoms and preventing complications.
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