DRC health minister warns 'very high' Ebola lethality rate as toll hits 80

The health minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo told Al Jazeera that the lethality rate of an Ebola outbreak in the eastern Kasai region is running above 65 percent, well above the historical average for similar episodes. Official figures put the total caseload at 246 and the death toll at 80.

The ministry said the outbreak began in a single village and spread to neighbouring health zones, with delayed diagnoses and contact during funeral rites accelerating transmission. Only three treatment centres are currently operating in the area and their capacity is filling fast.

World Health Organization teams have begun deploying the Ervebo vaccine, with around 4,000 doses made available. The Congolese government has called for the reopening of former treatment centres and for tighter screening at border crossings. Experts warn that without faster contact tracing the outbreak could reach a wider area in the coming weeks.