DRC Ebola death toll rises to 600, Africa's CDC calls outbreak fastest on record

DAKAR — The death toll from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 600, the World Health Organization said, noting that the figure climbed above 500 just three days earlier. Africa's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described the outbreak as the fastest spreading on record. According to the WHO, 1,759 confirmed cases have been recorded since the outbreak was announced in mid-May. Africa CDC North Africa Regional Director Dr. Wissam Mantoulla said the spread is the fastest not only among previous Bundibugyo strain outbreaks but across all Ebola virus species. Cases have been detected in four provinces in northeastern DRC, with the majority concentrated in Ituri. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare strain for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists, officials said. In neighboring Uganda, 17 of 20 confirmed patients have recovered and two have died. WHO representative in the DRC Anne Ancia said the full scale of the outbreak has yet to be determined.