Ebola outbreak passes 10,000 cases in DRC after nurse killed, another injured

There have been more than 10,000 cases and almost 5,000 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing Ebola virus outbreak.

The outbreak is now the second largest recorded globally.

The milestone follows an attack on health workers responding to an Ebola alert that left one nurse dead and another injured.

More than 10,000 people have been infected with Ebola virus in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) largest outbreak on record.

There have been 4,887 deaths across eight provinces in the DRC since the outbreak was declared in mid-May.

It is now the second largest Ebola virus outbreak globally, and the fastest growing in the DRC's history, according to local health officials.

More than 2,700 of those infected are children, along with hundreds of the dead, non-profit organisation Save the Children told the ABC.

The organisation's DRC director, Greg Ramm, said the grim milestone was a "stark reminder of the scale of this crisis".

"Behind this milestone are thousands of families facing unimaginable fear and uncertainty, and children are bearing some of the heaviest consequences," he said.

"This outbreak is unfolding in communities already affected by conflict, displacement and food insecurity.

"Families are struggling to access health care, health facilities are under immense pressure, and many communities lack the resources needed to prevent transmission and keep children safe."

Unlike previous Ebola outbreaks, this time transmission comes from the rarer Bundibugyo Ebola virus.

Bundibugyo did not show up on available Ebola testing kits for weeks, and there is no available vaccine for it.

Earlier this month, two countries, Kenya and Nigeria, reported their first cases linked to the ongoing outbreak.

A patient in Nigeria, identified as the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat, was flown to Switzerland for treatment on Monday, local time.

Kenyan officials reported their second Bundibugyo death on Tuesday, with almost 100 close contacts of other cases remaining in quarantine.

In response, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has scheduled a high-level virtual meeting of African ministers of health on Wednesday.

Africa CDC's director-general, Jean Kaseya, said their response "must move faster".

"We have the expertise and the capacity on this continent. We must mobilise them together to stop this outbreak and save lives."

Neighbouring Uganda has banned all non-essential travel to and from the DRC, and its returning citizens will be ordered to quarantine for 21 days.

Late last week, a nurse was killed and a health worker severely injured while responding to an Ebola alert in the DRC's Tshopo province.

The incident was announced by World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"Everyone working to protect communities from this deadly disease must be able to work in dignity and safety," he said in a post on X.

The DRC's eastern region, the epicentre of the outbreak, where 28 out of 36 health zones have recorded cases, is one of the most unstable areas in the world.

Those working on the ground have told the ABC they face violence, threats and conspiracy theories while fighting to contain the outbreak.

The WHO's regional director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, also condemned the attack.

"Those responding to the Ebola outbreak must be protected," Professor Janabi said.