Ebola outbreak in Congo passes 10,000 confirmed cases
Congo's health ministry reports 10,060 confirmed Ebola cases and 4,887 deaths since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, with nearly half of confirmed cases fatal. The Bundibugyo strain has spread to 66 health zones in eight provinces, and no approved vaccine or treatment exists for it. Kenya has confirmed nine cases, including two deaths, and Nigeria one case in a Swiss woman who had visited Uganda. Officials say more than 2,600 people have recovered, though the figure is reported by different bodies.
Key facts
- Two antiviral treatments have been in clinical trials since July, and two further trials are testing the Ervebo vaccine.
- Africa CDC describes the outbreak as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history.
- About a third of those who have died are children, per NPR.
- The outbreak was first detected in Ituri province in northeastern Congo.
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Why it matters
The outbreak is now the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic recorded in Congo, with cases confirmed in several countries.
What changed
First published from Africanews, Asharq Al-Awsat, DR Nyheder, The Straits Times and allAfrica