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The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 600, according to updated figures released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday.
The United Nations health agency said the country has recorded 1,759 confirmed Ebola cases since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, including 600 confirmed deaths.
In neighbouring Uganda, two people have died from the disease, while 17 of the 20 confirmed patients have recovered.
Health authorities in DR Congo estimate the outbreak’s case fatality rate at 34 per cent. So far, 285 patients have recovered, while another 304 suspected cases remain under investigation.
The outbreak is concentrated in the country’s northeastern Ituri Province, although infections have been reported across four provinces.
According to the WHO, the outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists.
Clinical trials evaluating two potential treatments began in DR Congo on July 2. The study is assessing the effectiveness of the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir, both individually and in combination.
Ebola is a viral haemorrhagic disease that spreads through close contact with infected individuals or their bodily fluids.
The current outbreak, the 17th recorded in DR Congo, was declared on May 15 after several deaths were reported in the mineral-rich Ituri Province, an area affected by persistent armed conflict.
