The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Ebola outbreak has reached 10,193 confirmed cases and 4,960 deaths, the country’s largest recorded outbreak, and the World Health Organization has called for stronger efforts to contain it.
An update from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, published October 29 and based on data through October 27, reports these totals. The update shows an increase from 10,060 cases and 4,887 deaths recorded through October 25. The outbreak was declared on May 15 and is caused by Bundibugyo virus.
Bundibugyo is a rare type of Ebola, and no vaccine or specific treatment for it is approved. The outbreak has spread to eight provinces. People are still infecting others in communities, and many affected areas are hard to reach.
Nearly half of confirmed patients have died. The ECDC says 2,749 people had recovered by October 27. WHO says response teams need to expand key measures to control the outbreak.
WHO says the teams need better access to affected communities. WHO says the teams also need to build trust through outreach. Conflict, displacement and limited access make this work harder.
Infections reported in Kenya and Nigeria have increased concern about the virus spreading across borders. A clinical trial is testing whether a vaccine made for another Ebola strain can help protect against Bundibugyo virus.