Confirmed cases in the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have passed the 1,000 mark, including 254 deaths, officials said.
A total of 100 people have recovered in the outbreak concentrated in the Ituri province since it was declared on May 15, Congo’s health ministry said. A total of 1,003 cases were confirmed.
The Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no vaccines or treatment, was the worst ever in its first month.
Officials admit there could be far more cases they still do not know about and that the peak of the outbreak is still ahead.
Contact tracing remains a key issue for local authorities, who have only achieved a 55% coverage rate, the ministry said.
Officials also are yet to identify the outbreak’s patient zero and still need to trace more than 35,000 people who have come in contact with infected individuals as of last week, authorities said.