Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo Claims Over 400 Lives
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed the lives of more than 400 people and is still spreading, with a first case reported in the major city of Kisangani nearly 600 kilometres from its epicentre.
The highly infectious disease has claimed 438 lives among the 1,406 people confirmed infected, with a fatality rate of just over 31 percent since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
The epicentre of the outbreak is in the northeastern Ituri province, where more than 83 percent of the deaths have occurred.
The virus has also spread to nearby provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, as well as Kisangani city.
Health authorities say only three provinces are officially affected by the virus, despite reports of cases in other regions.
Ebola, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids, has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.
The current outbreak is the 17th to hit the DRC, whose most deadly outbreak killed nearly 2,300 people between 2018 and 2020.
A trial of potential Ebola treatments is underway, but a vaccine or specific treatment does not exist for the current outbreak.
