The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 5,000, government data cited by Reuters show. More than 10,000 people have been infected since the outbreak was declared in May.
Authorities have yet to contain the spread of the virus. The current outbreak is the deadliest in the country's history and is already the second largest in the world.
Virus spreading in eight provinces
The outbreak is caused by a rare variant of the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved treatments or vaccines. This limits the scope for specific medical interventions as health authorities try to identify those infected and limit transmission of the virus.
Eight of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been affected. Slow detection of new cases, armed conflict and an overstretched health system are among the factors contributing to the faster spread of Ebola compared to previous outbreaks. Many of the deaths have occurred outside treatment facilities.
Cases have also been reported in other African countries
The geographic scope of the epidemic is expanding beyond the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Nigeria is the fourth African country to report an Ebola case, after cases were also reported in the East African countries of Kenya and Uganda.
The development heightens fears of a wider spread of the virus in Africa as health authorities continue to battle the outbreak in Congo.
The world's second-worst epidemic
The current outbreak is second only in scale to the one that broke out in West Africa between 2014 and 2016. At that time, more than 28,600 people were infected in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, and more than 11,000 died.
Sources: bta.bg, ca.marketscreener.com