The number of confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo has increased to 1,708, with 580 people losing their lives since the outbreak was declared, according to the latest figures released by the Congolese government.
The update, issued on Wednesday, showed that 280 patients have recovered from the disease, while 680 others remain hospitalised.
Health authorities said they are monitoring contacts and patients at a follow-up rate of 75.2 per cent across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
The outbreak continues to spread in eastern DR Congo, where years of armed conflict and mass displacement have complicated disease control efforts. Parts of North Kivu and South Kivu remain under the partial control of the M23 rebel group, making access to affected communities more difficult.
Authorities also confirmed that another healthcare worker in Ituri has contracted the virus.
The Congolese government said surveillance, treatment, public awareness campaigns and community support efforts are continuing in the affected areas.
In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Last week, the UN health agency launched a clinical trial in DR Congo to test two experimental treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a rare strain of Ebola.
The study, known as the Platform Adaptive Randomised Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus Treatments (PARTNERS), will evaluate whether the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir can improve survival rates among infected patients. Researchers will also assess whether combining both treatments offers additional benefits.
According to the WHO, while effective therapies exist for Ebola virus disease, no approved treatment is currently available for Bundibugyo virus disease, and no single treatment has proven effective against all Ebola virus species.
The agency said the experimental treatments were selected after reviewing scientific evidence, including preclinical studies, safety data and findings from previous Ebola outbreaks.
