The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has climbed to more than 5,000, as the deadly virus continues to spread across the country, according to government data.
Authorities have recorded more than 10,000 infections since the outbreak began in May, involving the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which causes Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).
Health officials have yet to approve a specific treatment or vaccine against this particular strain, further complicating efforts to contain the outbreak.
Government data show that eight of Congo’s 26 provinces have been affected, with a significant number of deaths reported outside designated Ebola treatment centers.
The outbreak is now considered the second-largest Ebola epidemic in recorded history, surpassed only by the 2014 to 2016 West African epidemic, which infected nearly 28,600 people and killed approximately 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Meanwhile, the spread of the virus has raised concerns across Africa, with Nigeria becoming the fourth African country to report an Ebola case last Sunday.
Kenya and Uganda have also recorded infections, adding to the growing number of affected countries in the region.
(Photo Courtesy: Reuters)
