Congo Ebola outbreak death toll reaches 999, health ministry reports

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has claimed 999 lives, according to official figures released overnight into Wednesday by the country's Ministry of Health.

The ministry said that, as of Sunday, 2,473 Ebola cases had been recorded since the outbreak was declared on May 15. Officials reported that 999 people had died from the disease.

According to the Ministry of Health, the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments. Officials have said the outbreak has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record based on the speed at which fatalities have increased.

For comparison, the 2013–2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest recorded, resulted in more than 11,000 deaths from at least 28,000 reported cases. That outbreak took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths, while the current outbreak has approached that milestone in a significantly shorter period.