Congo's public health institute reported 5,372 Ebola deaths from 10,414 infections
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has caused 5,372 deaths among 10,414 confirmed infections, the National Institute of Public Health said in a report released Saturday. Declared in May, it is the country’s largest and the world’s second-largest Ebola outbreak. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, called for stronger border and facility monitoring.
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The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 5,372 people among 10,414 confirmed infections, according to the National Institute of Public Health’s latest report, released Saturday. The reported case-fatality ratio is 51.6%; Bloomberg said the toll rose after health authorities added hundreds of previously unallocated deaths. The outbreak, declared in May, is the country’s largest and the world’s second-largest, after the 2014-16 West African epidemic, Hürriyet Daily News reported. It is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which no vaccine is approved. In an Oct. 22 interview with RFI, Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya warned that all countries need stronger surveillance, including at borders and health facilities.
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Pulse Nigeria and Hürriyet Daily News report that the toll exceeded 5,000, while Bloomberg reports a toll of 5,372 and says hundreds of fatalities were newly added to the official count. These recent reports support the claim; Euronews mentions 5,000 lives in passing but does not report that the toll exceeded 5,000.