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Ebola cases in Congo pass 10,000 as a nurse treating patients is hacked to death by a machete-wielding mob

An Ebola isolation tent in Nigeria, as the Swiss diplomat's wife — Nigeria's first case in the outbreak — was flown home to Switzerland with 52 contacts still under watch.
An Ebola isolation tent in Nigeria, as the Swiss diplomat's wife — Nigeria's first case in the outbreak — was flown home to Switzerland with 52 contacts still under watch.

More than 4,800 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the Ebola outbreak began in May, with total infections now exceeding 10,000 — a milestone health officials fear signals the worst outbreak on record. A nurse at Bafwasende general hospital in Tshopo province was hacked to death by a gang armed with machetes and batons, while a second health worker survived after police intervened. The WHO and UN have condemned the attack, the latest in a surge of violent incidents targeting medical staff fuelled by online conspiracy theories.

The mob accused the victims of deliberately contaminating the water supply with Ebola — a claim authorities have called baseless.

A Congolese politician was killed last month, beaten to death after urging the public to follow response measures including social distancing.

MoreThe GuardianAfrica’s ‘unprecedented’ Ebola outbreak could reach UK, says top health officialHuffPostEbola Outbreak In Congo Tops 10,000 CasesWashington TimesEbola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo surpass 10,000 as deaths mount
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