More than 5,000 die from Ebola in DR Congo's deadliest outbreak
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has resulted in over 5,000 deaths, marking the country's deadliest instance of the virus. The situation is complicated by conflict in the Ituri province and resistance from local communities toward health workers.
Why it matters
The high fatality rate and the difficulty of containment in conflict zones pose a significant public health challenge for the region.
Image source, EPA/Shutterstock Image caption, There is no vaccine for this strain of the virus, but clinical trials are under way
More than 5,000 people have died from an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, government data shows.
Eight of 26 provinces are now affected, with more than 10,300 confirmed cases.
The outbreak, which started in May, became the country's deadliest in its history in August, public health officials said. The current case fatality rate is 48.6%.
In its latest update, the health ministry said the epicentre of the epidemic remains in the Ituri province, in the north-east of the country, which is a conflict zone, making it harder to contain the virus.
Cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda.
This marks the 17th outbreak in DR Congo's history, according to the United Nations, and the second largest in history.
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