Lead image for DR Congo Ebola outbreak crosses 5,000 cases as death toll becomes country's highest.
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has crossed the 5,000-case mark, according to Africa CDC, as the rapidly spreading disease becomes the country's deadliest Ebola.
Africa CDC, reported on Monday that more than 5,000 confirmed cases and over 2,320 deaths had been recorded across six provinces. The latest figures cover Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, Bas-Uele and Tshopo.
The figures represent a sharp escalation of the outbreak, which was declared in May after the Bundibugyo species of Ebola was detected in Ituri.
International surveillance data released around the same period put the cumulative number slightly below the 5,000 mark. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reported 4,945 confirmed cases and 2,325 deaths based on data through August 15, highlighting the rapid pace at which new infections are being detected and reported.
The outbreak has already overtaken the 2018–2020 Ebola epidemic in eastern DRC, which killed 2,299 people, making the current epidemic the deadliest in the country's history.
Ituri remains the epicentre, with the virus also spreading into other provinces. The expansion into six provinces has raised concerns about continued transmission through highly mobile populations and communities affected by conflict and displacement.
The current outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or proven specific treatment. This has complicated efforts to contain transmission compared with previous outbreaks caused by the Zaire species, for which vaccines and therapeutics are available.