DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak claims more than 5,000 lives

More than 5,000 people have died from an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to government data reported by the BBC.

Eight of the country’s 26 provinces are now affected, with more than 10,300 confirmed cases and a case fatality rate of 48.6%. The outbreak, which began in May, became the country’s deadliest in August. The health ministry said the epicentre remains Ituri province in the north-east, a conflict zone that makes the virus harder to contain.

The Bundibugyo species is behind the outbreak, and there is no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain, though clinical trials are under way. The World Health Organization’s Africa office said a continued scale-up of control measures, greater access to affected areas and community outreach are needed to end it. The UN warned that the outbreak is “taking lives at a much faster rate” than previous ones.

Health workers are also coming under attack. Earlier this week, a nurse was killed and another worker seriously injured after local youths accused them of contaminating water sources, according to UN-backed Radio Okapi. Last month, a politician was beaten to death after promoting measures to stop the virus.

Cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda. Kenya has recorded nine cases and two deaths, while Nigeria’s disease control centre said two suspected cases were identified on Saturday and isolated for testing. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control rates the risk to Europe as “very low.”

With no vaccine yet available, containing the spread now depends on access to affected areas and the trust of communities.