DR Congo Ebola outbreak passes 5,000 deaths and 10,300 cases

More than 5,000 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak, government figures show, with more than 10,300 confirmed cases recorded in eight of the country's 26 provinces. It is the second largest outbreak on record and the deadliest in Congo's history, and there is no vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus behind it.

The health ministry's latest update puts the case fatality rate at 48.6%. The outbreak began in May and in August passed the 2018-2020 epidemic, which recorded 2,299 deaths, as the country's worst. The United Nations says it is the 17th outbreak in DRC's history.

Ituri province in the north-east remains the epicentre, in a conflict zone that has made the virus harder to contain. Clinical trials of vaccines are under way, and testing and treatment continue.

The World Health Organization's Africa office said ending the outbreak requires "continued scale-up of key control measures, greater access to affected areas, and community outreach". The UN has warned that the outbreak is "taking lives at a much faster rate".

The 2014-2016 West African outbreak, the largest recorded, killed more than 11,325 people and reached Italy, Britain and the United States, according to the WHO.

Neighbouring countries have recorded cases. Uganda had two deaths and 20 cases shortly after the outbreak began and has reported none since August; travel restrictions remain in place for people crossing from DR Congo. Kenya has confirmed nine cases and two deaths. Nigeria's disease control centre said two suspected cases were identified on Saturday and the individuals were isolated for testing, after a woman confirmed with the disease earlier in October was flown to Switzerland.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said the likelihood of infection for people in Europe is "very low".

Health teams have also been attacked. This week a nurse was killed and another health worker seriously injured while responding to an Ebola alert, after local youths accused them of contaminating water sources and spreading the virus, according to the UN-backed Radio Okapi. Last month a politician was beaten to death after promoting measures to stop the spread. The Red Cross said in August that its volunteers had been injured and an ambulance set on fire in 11 violent incidents in the outbreak's first 100 days.

The International Council of Nurses warned that misinformation was endangering health workers, AllAfrica reported. The IPC global food security monitor said separately that more than 28 million people in DR Congo are not getting enough to eat, a figure expected to rise, according to UN News.