Ebola reaches 11,042 cases and 5,387 deaths in DR Congo
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Maverick
Illustrative image · Asad Photo Maldives · Pexels · Licence PexelsThe Ebola outbreak in DR Congo has reached 11,042 confirmed cases and 5,387 deaths, according to government data cited by Daily Maverick. Eight provinces are affected by the Bundibugyo virus, whose outbreak has become the second deadliest ever recorded.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is caused by the rare Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus, for which no treatment or vaccine is currently licensed, according to data reported by Daily Maverick.
The outbreak has become the second largest and deadliest ever recorded, behind the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000. Eight of DR Congo’s 26 provinces have been affected and many deaths occurred outside treatment centres, according to Daily Maverick.
Late detection of cases, conflicts and pressure on health services have contributed to faster spread than in previous outbreaks, Daily Maverick reports. The virus has now been reported in East, Central and West Africa, making this its widest geographical spread on the continent to date.
The outbreak was declared in mid-May. It comes after the 10,000-case threshold was passed on 27 October, followed by a toll of 10,532 cases and 5,126 deaths published on 6 November, before nearly 390 new confirmed cases were announced on 10 November.
