The country’s deadliest Ebola outbreak has killed nearly half of those infected and spread across eight provinces
BUNIA, Democratic Republic of Congo — International News Service – Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 11,000 cases, marking a grim new stage in an epidemic that health authorities have struggled to contain amid armed conflict, poor infrastructure and attacks on medical workers.
The latest Health Ministry figures show 11,042 infections and 5,387 deaths. That is a fatality rate of almost 49 per cent. The outbreak, declared in May, is already Congo’s deadliest and the world’s second-largest recorded Ebola epidemic.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported 10,990 confirmed cases and 5,354 deaths through November 8. Its slightly older data showed that Ituri and North Kivu accounted for most infections. Sixty-seven health zones in eight provinces had reported cases.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is no known vaccine or treatment. That limits the tools available to health teams beyond isolating patients, tracing contacts and encouraging communities to report symptoms quickly.
Those measures have been disrupted by renewed fighting in Ituri and North Kivu. Poor roads make some communities difficult to reach, while misinformation and mistrust have contributed to attacks on clinics and health workers. Authorities have called for safe access to affected areas.
Cases linked to the outbreak have also appeared in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria. European health authorities assess the risk to people in Europe as very low, but continued transmission raises the danger of further international spread.
The 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic remains the largest Ebola outbreak on record, with about 28,000 infections and more than 11,000 deaths. Congo’s outbreak has grown more quickly during its first months, adding urgency to appeals for greater access, funding and community cooperation.
Sources: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control | World Health Organization
