Ebola death toll passes 5,300

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the latest Ebola outbreak in Africa has claimed 5,376 lives as of Monday. The majority of these fatalities occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which declared its 17th Ebola outbreak in mid-May.

Data from the Africa CDC shows 5,372 deaths in the DRC, along with two each in Kenya and Uganda. The Bundibugyo strain of the virus has infected 10,444 people across the three countries. The death rate for this specific strain currently stands above 50 percent.

The virus has crossed national borders multiple times in recent months. Uganda recorded 20 cases, nearly all involving travelers from the DRC, before declaring itself Ebola-free in August. Kenya reported its first recorded cases in October, with nine infections and two deaths.

Nigeria’s health authorities confirmed that two suspected cases in the northeast region tested negative after two rounds of testing. Abuja reported its first imported case in October, the first in more than a decade, with no recorded deaths. France reported a single case in July involving a health worker returning from the DRC.

Health officials note there are no approved treatments or vaccines for the rare Bundibugyo strain. Clinical trials began recently using the Ervebo vaccine, which has shown effectiveness against the more common Zaire strain.

The outbreak continues to strain regional health systems as countries manage the spread of the virus across shared borders.