'No Vaccine or Treatment' - One in Two Dies... 'Deadly Virus' Claims 5,000 in 168 Days

The death toll from Ebola virus infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Africa, has exceeded 5,000. This comes 168 days after an Ebola outbreak was officially declared in May.

A refugee woman from the Democratic Republic of the Congo is being tested for Ebola symptoms at an International Rescue Committee (IRC) clinic in a refugee settlement in western Uganda. Yonhap News Agency

According to Reuters, the Associated Press and other news outlets on Oct. 30 (local time), the DR Congo Health Ministry has recorded 10,351 confirmed Ebola cases, including 5,026 deaths. This means about 48.6% of confirmed cases have been fatal. A total of 2,788 people have recovered.

The World Health Organization (WHO) found that one in three people who died had not received medical care and died before being tested for Ebola.

This outbreak is the second-largest worldwide, after the Ebola epidemic in West Africa from 2014 to 2016. At the time, 28,616 people were infected and 11,310 died. However, the current outbreak is said to be spreading faster than the earlier one. In particular, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo virus causing this outbreak.

Response efforts have also been disrupted because many of the affected areas are under the influence of rebel groups. A shortage of medical facilities, residents' distrust of health workers, and poor working conditions for medical staff have also been cited as obstacles to containing the spread.

The outbreak is spreading beyond the borders of the DR Congo. Following Uganda and Kenya, Ebola cases were reported in Nigeria last week, heightening concerns about the spread across Africa.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.