DRC Ebola outbreak tops 10,000 cases and 4,800 deaths

The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has infected 10,060 people and killed 4,887 in the Democratic Republic of Congo since it was detected in May, according to Congolese health authorities, as cases have also been reported in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda. The latest figures, reported Tuesday, make the outbreak the deadliest in the DRC’s history. The Congolese National Institute of Public Health said 2,684 people had recovered and estimated the fatality rate at close to 50 percent. The totals have not been independently audited in the reports. The outbreak was first detected in Ituri province and has spread across the DRC’s north and east. The health authorities’ latest count covers eight provinces and more than 66 health zones, according to Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention director Jean Kaseya. Conflict and difficulty reaching affected communities have complicated the response. Nigeria’s only confirmed case is a 42-year-old Swiss woman who was evacuated from Abuja to Geneva for treatment. She had travelled to Uganda with her husband before returning to Nigeria, and Nigerian health authorities identified 53 contacts. Nigeria’s health minister said her condition had...