BUNIA – The death toll from Congo’s latest Ebola outbreak has climbed to at least 930, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.
Health officials said the fatalities were among 2,344 confirmed cases reported as of Saturday. In an update issued overnight into Monday, the ministry said 37 more people had died in the previous 24 hours, marking one of the deadliest single-day increases since the crisis began.
The Ebola outbreak, declared in eastern Congo on May 15, has become the fastest-growing Ebola epidemic ever recorded. Officials have identified the Bundibugyo virus as the strain behind the outbreak, a less common form of the virus for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
The sharp rise in deaths comes as worsening security concerns continue to hamper the Ebola response in Ituri, the province hardest hit by the outbreak.
Authorities said Saturday that at least 12 attacks have targeted health centers and response teams since the outbreak was announced in mid-May. The response has faced another setback as many health workers have stopped working in protest over unpaid wages.
At least 36 health workers who contracted the virus have died, underscoring the danger faced by frontline medical teams.
The Health Ministry said 724 patients are currently being treated in isolation units and hospitals, while officials work to strengthen Ebola containment efforts across affected health zones.
