DR Congo Ebola deaths pass 375 as outbreak spreads to a fourth province

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has grown into one of the largest on record, with authorities reporting more than 1,300 confirmed cases and over 375 deaths as the disease spreads to a fourth province.

As of 30 June, the DRC health ministry said 1,307 cases had been confirmed, including 377 deaths. Ituri remains the worst-hit province, accounting for more than 1,000 cases, but infections have also been recorded in North Kivu and South Kivu, and a case has now been detected in Haut-Uele, which borders South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, is the third-largest ever recorded. There is no licensed vaccine or approved treatment for this strain, making containment and early care critical.

The response has been severely complicated by conflict in the country's east, where M23 rebels control territory near the outbreak zones. The World Health Organization's chief has called for a ceasefire to allow health teams to operate in areas where more than two million people have been displaced.

Aid workers have also faced hostility and mistrust in affected communities. A burial team was attacked in mid-June, and health workers were reported taken hostage, underscoring the dangers facing responders trying to stop the virus from spreading further across borders.