Ebola death toll in DR Congo climbs to 4,242
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has claimed 4,242 lives, with health authorities reporting 8,787 confirmed infections as of October 7, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing WAM.
According to figures released Saturday by the country's Health Ministry, the outbreak's case fatality rate stands at 48.3%.
Concerns are mounting over the potential spread of the virus beyond DR Congo's borders. Jean Kaseya, Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), previously warned that the ongoing outbreak could pose a serious risk to neighboring countries.
In August, the United Nations raised concerns about a shortage of resources needed to bring the outbreak under control.
Meanwhile, research published in the journal Nature Medicine identified a previously unknown strain of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, which researchers believe may have been transmitted to humans from an animal.
The World Health Organization had already warned in May that the epidemiological situation in DR Congo and Uganda constituted an emergency with potential implications for other countries, highlighting the growing public health risks across the region.
On October 6, Kenya confirmed its first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease, one day after a man died in a Nairobi hospital.
