Congo's Ebola Death Toll Passes 5,000 as Outbreak Spreads Across Africa
Written by AI from aljazeera.com's report. Not checked by a person.
The DRC's Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has killed more than 5,000 people and infected over 10,000 since May, making it both the deadliest outbreak in the country's history and the second-largest ever recorded worldwide. Cases have now spread beyond Congo's borders to Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria.
The Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has surpassed 5,000 deaths, according to government data announced on Friday, making it the deadliest outbreak in the DRC's history and the second-largest ever recorded worldwide by number of infections. More than 10,000 people have been infected since the outbreak was declared in May.
The virus belongs to the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved treatments or vaccines exist. Authorities say delayed detection, ongoing armed conflict, and severely strained health services have allowed the disease to spread more rapidly than in previous outbreaks, reaching eight of the DRC's 26 provinces.
The outbreak has also crossed international borders. Kenya and Uganda in East Africa have both reported cases, and last week Nigeria became the fourth African country to confirm an infection, extending the outbreak's reach into West Africa. In response, Saudi Arabia announced on Friday it was suspending travel to and from Kenya and halting all visas for Kenyan travellers. The ban also blocks entry to travellers who arrive via third countries but have stayed in Kenya or other Ebola-affected countries within the previous 21 days. Saudi Arabia had imposed similar restrictions on the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan back in June.
The current outbreak is the second-largest in recorded history by infection count, behind only the 2014–2016 West African epidemic, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
