Suspected Ebola cases in DR Congo top 1,000

The number of suspected Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has surpassed 1,000 as the latest outbreak continues to spread across eastern provinces, according to a situation report released Wednesday by the country's Ministry of Health, said Xinhua. The report, based on figures compiled as of Tuesday, put the cumulative number of suspected cases at 1,077. The country has recorded 121 confirmed Ebola cases and 238 suspected deaths since the outbreak was declared on May 15. The outbreak has affected 13 health zones across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, the report said, with Ituri remaining the epicenter. The current outbreak marks the country's 17th Ebola epidemic. Laboratory tests identified the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, a relatively rare form of Ebola. The World Health Organization declared the event a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, while the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later declared a continental public health security emergency.