More than 5,000 people have died in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo — the country’s deadliest on record — according to government data cited by the BBC. Eight of 26 provinces are affected, with more than 10,300 confirmed cases; the case fatality rate is 48.6%.

The outbreak began in May and became DRC’s deadliest in August. The epicentre remains Ituri province in the north-east, a conflict zone that makes containment harder. Cases have also been confirmed in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda. The UN calls it DRC’s 17th outbreak and the second-largest ever.

WHO’s Africa office says a continued scale-up of control measures, greater access to affected areas and community outreach are needed. Testing and treatment continue, alongside vaccine clinical trials. The Bundibugyo species is behind the outbreak; there is not yet an authorised treatment or vaccine for this strain.

DRC’s previous national record was 2,299 deaths in 2018–2020. History’s deadliest outbreak was in West Africa (2014–2016), killing more than 11,325. The UN warns the current outbreak is “taking lives at a much faster rate.”

The response is hampered by violence: a nurse was killed and another health worker seriously injured after an Ebola alert; last month a politician was beaten to death after promoting prevention measures; the Red Cross reported 11 violent incidents in the first 100 days. Kenya: 9 cases, 2 deaths; Nigeria: suspected cases isolated on Saturday. ECDC rates infection risk in Europe as “very low.”

Image: Ituri hills, DRC (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0).

Sources consulted: More than 5,000 die from Ebola in DR Congo's deadliest outbreak - BBC.