DRC Ebola toll tops 5,000 as outbreak reaches West Africa

More than 5,000 people have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, government data released on Friday show. The figure marks the deadliest outbreak in the country's history. Health officials have yet to contain the spread of the virus.

Since the outbreak was declared in May, the disease has infected over 10,000 individuals. The strain responsible is Bundibugyo, for which no approved treatments or vaccines currently exist. Authorities cite delayed detection, ongoing conflict, and strained health services as factors that allowed the virus to move faster than in previous incidents. The infection has reached eight of the DRC's 26 provinces.

The geographic scope expanded last week when Nigeria reported an Ebola case. This makes Nigeria the fourth African country to confirm an infection, extending the outbreak from East Africa to West Africa. Kenya and Uganda have also reported cases in recent weeks.

This is the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded. It trails only the 2014 to 2016 epidemic, which infected more than 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

Governments have begun restricting travel to and from affected areas. Saudi Arabia suspended travel to and entry from Kenya on Friday. The Saudi Press Agency reported that the kingdom paused visa issuance for travelers from Kenya and prohibited entry for those arriving from the country. The ban includes transiting passengers who stayed in Kenya or other Ebola-affected nations within the previous 21 days. Saudi Arabia took similar measures regarding the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan in June.