DR Congo Ebola outbreak fastest-growing on record; deaths reach 4,410
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which began in May, is the fastest-growing on record, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), WAM reports.
The country's latest surveillance figures show 9,144 confirmed cases and 4,410 deaths, according to data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on Wednesday.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has become the largest and deadliest in DR Congo's history, with health authorities warning that insecurity, population displacement and difficulties tracing contacts continue to hamper containment efforts.
The country's task force on Ebola released a situation report on Tuesday, showing that 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths had been recorded as of Oct. 11, bringing the overall case fatality rate to 48.3 percent. A total of 2,389 patients have recovered.