Death toll in Congo’s Ebola outbreak tops 3,000

More than 3,000 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the current outbreak was officially declared in mid-May, health authorities said on Wednesday.

A total of 6,186 cases have been confirmed in the Central African country, including 3,007 deaths. Some 830 people are currently being treated or are in isolation, while 1,409 patients are considered to have recovered.

The fatality rate stands at 48.6%, meaning that almost one in two patients dies. The death rate is particularly high among young children.

Ebola is transmitted through physical contact and contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe fever, diarrhoea and bleeding.