Congo Reports 600 Ebola Deaths and 1,759 Confirmed Cases as Two Suspected Infections Appear in New Province

The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in Congo reached 600, the Congolese government said in a report published late Wednesday. Confirmed cases across the country totaled 1,759. Two suspected cases appeared in Kisangani in Tshopo province, an area that had recorded no prior Ebola cases in this outbreak.

One of the suspected cases was linked to the Nia-Nia health zone in Ituri province, the site of the first known infections. The second suspected case showed no apparent geographical connection to known outbreak areas, and authorities were investigating. The government declared the outbreak on May 15 after the disease had spread for weeks without official detection.

The Congolese government said the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus. Clinical trials for treatment began last week. The World Health Organization stated that the outbreak has not yet stabilised and continues to expand due to population movement.

Response teams have begun strengthening surveillance and contact tracing in Kisangani.