Ebola fatality rate in DR Congo tops 50% as death toll reaches 5,372

The death toll from the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had reached 5,372 as of Friday, according to the latest official report released on Sunday.

The new data also said the outbreak has a case fatality rate of 51.6%, meaning that over half of the people diagnosed with Ebola die from the disease.

The situation report from the DRC's National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB) showed that the country had recorded 10,414 confirmed Ebola cases as of October 30.

A statement noted that the significant increase in reported deaths was due to a retrospective adjustment of data between the local data processing team and the Ituri Province outbreak management team, rather than a single-day surge.

The latest outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, which has no known vaccine or treatment, but health workers treat patients based on symptoms.

It was declared in mid-May, catching authorities by surprise. They have since struggled to manage it.

According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 80% of new cases are coming from outside the chain of monitored contacts, meaning an overwhelming share of infections are coming from unknown chains of transmission to health authorities.

Cases have also been recorded in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.