DRC Ebola death toll rises to 1,309 as outbreak spreads

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — The government has confirmed that the death toll from the country's ongoing Ebola outbreak has reached 1,309, with the fatality rate climbing to 44 percent. Officials reported 2,973 total cases and described the outbreak as the fastest-spreading in the country's history. Ituri province remains the epicenter of the outbreak, with cases concentrated in provinces east of the capital, Kinshasa. The virus has also spread to North Kivu and other regions, according to the government announcement. At the Elykia Ebola treatment center in the city of Bunia, health workers launched a strike over unpaid extra payments, virtually halting services at the facility. International health organizations have warned that the true case count may be higher than official figures due to security challenges complicating contact tracing in the field.