The number of laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached 8 544. This was announced by the country's Ministry of Communication and Media.

According to the agency, 4 114 people have died from the disease, and the case fatality rate stands at 48,2%. There are 824 patients with symptoms remaining in hospitals and medical isolation facilities. Contact tracing is successfully carried out in 73,8% of cases.

The disease has been recorded in 64 of the 519 health zones in the DRC. One of them—Alimbongo in North Kivu province—is controlled by the "March 23 Movement" rebels; four cases have been identified there. In total, the outbreak has affected 7 of the country's 26 provinces.

The epidemic began on May 15 in the DRC and Uganda and became the second deadliest on record in Africa. Ugandan authorities declared the outbreak over on July 28, and the World Health Organization confirmed this on August 25.

The Ebola virus was first detected in humans in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976. The current outbreak in the country is the 17th.