OMM Newsroom
The death toll from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 5,000. Figures released by the government on Friday show efforts to contain the country’s largest Ebola outbreak to date are continuing, AnewZ reported.
More than 10,000 people have been infected since the outbreak was declared in May. It is the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record worldwide.
Health officials say delays in detecting infections, armed conflict in affected areas and pressure on already overstretched health services have hampered efforts to stop the virus from spreading. The outbreak has reached eight of the Congo’s 26 provinces, and most patients have died outside specialized treatment centers.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
The crisis has also spread beyond the Congo. Last week, Nigeria became the fourth African country to report an infection linked to the outbreak. Cases have also been recorded in Kenya and Uganda.
The only larger Ebola outbreak in terms of deaths and infections occurred in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2014–2016. More than 28,600 people were infected and over 11,000 died in that outbreak.
