Ebola deaths in Congo exceed 5,000 as virus spreads across Africa
The Bundibugyo virus outbreak has killed 5,026 people and infected 10,351 individuals, according to Congolese Ministry of Health data.
Ebola deaths in Congo have surpassed 5,000 as the disease spreads through the country and into other African nations, according to The New Indian Express on Saturday. Data from the Congolese Ministry of Health shows that 5,026 people have died out of 10,351 infected, representing a lethality rate of nearly 50 per cent.
The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared in mid-May. It has become the second deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, following a West Africa outbreak between 2014 and 2016 that killed 11,000 people.
World Health Organization programme area manager Dr. Patrick Otim said the number reflects the severity of the outbreak and the devastation of families and communities. Otim noted that one-third of those who died did not receive medical care before passing away.
The virus is concentrated in the eastern regions of Ituri and North Kivu, which have recorded 9,782 confirmed cases and 4,792 deaths. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that approximately 80 per cent of new infections originate from unknown transmission chains.
Efforts to contain the virus face challenges including armed conflict in eastern Congo and strikes by health workers over unpaid wages. In Ituri, workers at a treatment centre in Tchomia downed tools on Friday to demand four months of back pay.
The outbreak has reached multiple regions, with Kenya reporting eight cases and two deaths, and Nigeria confirming one case. Cases have also been recorded in Uganda.