Ebola death toll in DR Congo surpasses 5,000, government data show

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has surpassed 5,000, according to government data released on Friday.

​As reported by Al Jazeera, authorities continue struggling to contain the country’s deadliest outbreak of the virus on record. More than 10,000 people have been infected since May, with no approved treatments or vaccines available for the rare Bundibugyo strain driving the epidemic.

​Delayed detection, conflict, and strained healthcare systems have accelerated the virus’s spread across eight DRC provinces and into neighboring nations, including Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria.

​In response to international spread, Saudi Arabia suspended travel to and entry from Kenya on Friday, following earlier travel bans imposed on the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.