Ebola on the rise in DRC

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak has surpassed 3,000 confirmed cases, raising fresh concerns over the spread of the deadly virus.

Government figures show that 3,075 cases have been recorded, including 1,354 deaths, making it one of the country’s most serious outbreaks.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times higher than official figures, suggesting that many infections may not have been detected or reported.

Congo’s 17th outbreak, was declared in mid-May, although health experts believe the virus had already been circulating for several weeks before it was officially identified.

Authorities say it is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has an estimated fatality rate of about 40 percent.