The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen above 400 after nearly 40 new deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, according to the Health Ministry’s situation update on Thursday.
The number of confirmed cases climbed to 1,406, including 438 deaths with a fatality rate of 31.2 percent since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
The outbreak has been concentrated in 34 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
The ministry said a 24th health zone known as Lolwa is now affected in Ituri province, the epicentre of the current outbreak.
At least 192 people have recovered, while 609 patients remain in isolation or hospitalisation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the reported case fatality in DRC could likely be an underestimation, as many deaths that occurred before the outbreak declaration remain under investigation.
