Congo Ebola Death Toll Reaches 600 With New Suspected Cases

Npr reported that the death toll in Congo's latest Ebola outbreak reached 600 as of Thursday. New suspected cases have been recorded in the provinces of Tshopo and Haut-Uele, according to the Congolese health ministry. A Congolese government report published late Wednesday identified two suspected cases in Kisangani in Tshopo province.

One case was linked to the Nia-Nia health zone in Ituri province. The second case showed no apparent geographical connection to known outbreaks. Authorities were investigating both. The total number of confirmed Ebola cases across Congo has reached 1,759.

The Africa Centre for Disease Control stated on Thursday that the outbreak is the fastest-growing on the continent. Congolese authorities declared the outbreak on May 15. The World Health Organization noted that the disease had been transmitting for weeks without official detection before the declaration.

The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment. Clinical trials for treatment began last week.