Technology and Scienceupdated 1h ago2 min read
MapEbola Outbreak In Democratic Republic Of Congo Surpasses 5,000 Deaths
4 Western Mainstream2 West Asian1 Asian1 OtherMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL · Cropped for layout
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Deaths from the Congo Ebola outbreak exceed 5,000 (about 5,026 reported). Confirmed cases surpass 10,000, with about 10,351 infections reported.
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Death toll crosses 5,000
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has surpassed 5,000 deaths, with government data showing 5,026 deaths out of 10,351 infections and a mortality rate approaching 50%. The BBC said the outbreak has affected eight of 26 provinces and that the current case fatality rate is 48.6%. The outbreak began in May and the BBC said it became the country's deadliest in its history in August, with the epicentre remaining in the Ituri province in the north-east of the country.
The Al Jazeera report said the outbreak has reached eight of the DRC’s 26 provinces to date and that there are no approved treatments or vaccines to combat the rare Bundibugyo strain. The BBC added that the Bundibugyo species is behind the current outbreak, but there is not yet any treatment or vaccine for this strain.
Spread beyond Congo
The Al Jazeera report said Nigeria became the fourth African country to report an Ebola case, extending the outbreak’s geographic spread to West Africa, after Kenya and Uganda also reported cases. The BBC said cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, and it reported that the epicentre remains in Ituri while the conflict zone makes containment harder. The Contagion Live report said the CDC counted 10,305 total confirmed cases and 4,996 total confirmed deaths as of October 28, and it described the outbreak as the second-largest on record.
The BBC said the outbreak is taking lives at a much faster rate, and it described the need for a continued scale-up of key control measures, greater access to affected areas, and community outreach. The Al Jazeera report said Saudi Arabia suspended travel to and entry from Kenya and also suspended travel to and entry from the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan in June.
Calls for more support
Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that there could be "massive" spread into additional countries and even other continents unless countries such as Canada offer more support.
Kaseya told CBC News, "No one is safe today," and he said he was calling on all African countries to increase preparedness while also calling on Western countries, especially Canada.
The CBC report said confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surpassed 10,000 and that the death toll has surpassed 5,000, while it described the outbreak as the country's largest-ever and fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded.
The BBC said the WHO office in Africa called for "continued scale-up of key control measures, greater access to affected areas, and community outreach" to end the outbreak.
The BBC also said testing and treatment are under way, along with clinical trials of vaccines, while it noted that there is not yet any treatment or vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain.