The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has continued to worsen, with authorities reporting 1,077 suspected cases and 246 deaths since the outbreak began.
According to the Congolese government, 121 infections have so far been laboratory confirmed, including 17 deaths among confirmed cases.
The outbreak is centred in Ituri Province, a region bordering Uganda and South Sudan.
The World Health Organization said the actual number of infections is likely much higher, warning that the outbreak went undetected for several weeks and that not all cases are being formally reported.
Health officials and aid agencies continue to face major challenges in tracing infections and containing the spread of the virus in remote areas affected by limited healthcare access and regional instability.
The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals, with symptoms including fever, bleeding, severe weakness, and organ failure.
Authorities are continuing surveillance operations, laboratory testing, isolation measures, and vaccination campaigns in affected communities to try to contain the outbreak.
