The death toll from the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 360, according to the country's National Institute of Public Health (INSP).
In its latest situation update, covering data up to June 27, the institute said 1,274 Ebola cases had been confirmed, with the disease's case fatality rate rising to 28.3%, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.
The outbreak remains concentrated in the eastern province of Ituri, which accounts for more than 90% of all reported infections and more than 83% of deaths.
Health officials said the current outbreak began in mid-May. Of the confirmed cases, 1,118 have been recorded in the DRC, where 291 people have died. Uganda has also confirmed 20 infections.
Efforts to contain the outbreak have been complicated by insecurity in eastern Congo, particularly in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, where armed groups continue to operate.
The conflict has displaced more than five million people, according to the authorities, with over one million living in camps for internally displaced people, raising concerns that crowded conditions could accelerate the spread of the virus.
The Ebola virus causes a severe haemorrhagic fever and is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or contaminated materials. Previous outbreaks in the DRC have been among the deadliest recorded worldwide.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
