Ebola outbreak kills 5,376, mostly in DR Congo
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Citizen Digital
The Ebola virus disease epidemic has killed 5,376 people and caused 10,444 confirmed cases, including 5,372 deaths in the DRC, according to Africa CDC data sent to AFP. Kenya and Uganda have recorded two deaths each, while the fatality rate exceeds 50%.
The Ebola epidemic has killed 5,376 people in Africa, including 5,372 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), two in Kenya and two in Uganda, according to data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) sent to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday.
The tally covers 10,444 confirmed cases and corresponds to a fatality rate of more than 50%. Uganda, which recorded 20 linked cases, mostly involving travellers from the DRC, was declared Ebola-free in August, while Kenya recorded nine infections in October, its first appearance of the virus, according to the Africa CDC.
Nigeria also reported a case in October involving a 42-year-old Swiss woman whose husband works at the Swiss embassy in Abuja. The couple were returning from a stay in Uganda, according to AFP.
The epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or treatment has yet been approved. Clinical trials of the Ervebo vaccine have nevertheless begun, as the product has already shown its effectiveness against the more common Zaire strain, according to the Africa CDC.
