Ebola death toll passes 3,000 in DR Congo: official data
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 3,000 deaths, with the current epidemic caused by the Bundibugyo strain. Health officials are struggling with limited resources and community mistrust, while testing new vaccine strategies.
Why it matters
The high fatality rate and lack of an approved vaccine for this specific strain pose a significant public health crisis in the region.
The deadliest ever Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has now claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people, according to the latest official toll released on Wednesday.
The epidemic, which has hit the conflict-hit east and northeast of the country, has caused 3,007 deaths and infected 6,186 people, the Congolese National Institute of Public Health said.
The fatality rate is 48.6%. A total of 1,409 people have been reported to have recovered, it added.
Ebola, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and causes haemorrhagic fever, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa in the last 50 years.
The worst outbreak previously recorded in DR Congo left nearly 2,300 people dead from 3,500 reported cases between 2018 and 2020.
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