Congo's Ebola Outbreak Surges Past 5,000 Cases, Overwhelming Response Efforts

Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 5,000 reported cases, according to government figures released Wednesday, with health responders warning that the virus is spreading at an exceptionally rapid pace and threatening to overwhelm containment efforts in one of the country’s most remote areas. Figures from Congo’s Ministry of Health showed that 5,021 cases, including 2,378 deaths, had been recorded as of Sunday. Authorities are battling the outbreak under extremely difficult conditions, with insecurity, widespread displacement and heavy population movement making efforts to control transmission more challenging. Health officials say the outbreak is spreading faster and affecting more people than any previous Ebola outbreak. From the detection of the first case, the current outbreak has expanded at roughly three times the speed of the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, which remains the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record, claiming more than 11,000 lives.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Bloomberg.