More than 6000 people infected with Ebola in DRC: Govt – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has passed the 6,000 mark, government data showed .
The epidemic has become the largest in the central African country’s history, surpassing the previous worst outbreak that lasted from 2018 to 2020.
It is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments.
The number of people with confirmed infections has risen to 6,041, and 2,911 of them have died, the communication ministry said on X.
French aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it had opened a new Ebola treatment centre in eastern DRC.
Bed shortages are seen as one of many challenges in controlling the outbreak, which is the second deadliest ever and outpacing containment efforts.
The treatment centre is in Beni, North Kivu, which has recorded 122 confirmed cases and 87 deaths since the start of the outbreak in mid-May.
North Kivu has the highest case fatality rate of any of DRC’s six affected provinces, at 68%, government data showed.