The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has climbed above 4,000, according to government figures released Friday, as the disease continues to spread despite efforts to contain it.
Authorities reported 4,018 deaths and 8,300 confirmed cases across seven provinces. More than 2,000 people have recovered from the disease.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, has now become the largest and deadliest Ebola epidemic in Congo’s history, surpassing the country’s 2018-2020 outbreak.
Outbreak continues to spread in eastern Congo
Health authorities and the United Nations said last month that transmission appeared to be slowing in parts of Ituri province, where the outbreak was first detected.
The situation remains more difficult elsewhere, however, with the virus continuing to spread rapidly across eastern Congo. North Kivu province has emerged as a new hotspot, adding to concerns over efforts to bring the outbreak under control.
The outbreak has also reached northwestern Congo. South Ubangi province became the seventh province affected last month after a man who had traveled from eastern Congo died from the virus.
Second-deadliest Ebola outbreak on record
Congo’s current outbreak has overtaken the 2018-2020 epidemic and is now second only to the 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak in scale.
That outbreak infected more than 28,600 people and killed over 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Congo’s latest outbreak has therefore become the country’s most severe Ebola epidemic, with the number of confirmed cases and deaths continuing to rise even as health authorities report signs of slowing transmission in some areas.
The latest figures underscore the challenge facing government and international health agencies as they work to contain the virus across multiple provinces.
