The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded its deadliest Ebola outbreak, with 2,325 people confirmed dead, according to government figures released on Monday.
The deaths were recorded among 4,945 confirmed Ebola cases, surpassing the previous deadliest outbreak in the country, which occurred between 2018 and 2020 and claimed 2,299 lives from 3,381 confirmed cases.
The United Nations has described the current outbreak as the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, warning that the disease is killing about one person every 30 minutes in the country.
The outbreak began in Ituri Province in northeastern DRC, a region affected by prolonged conflict, before spreading to five other provinces.
The government officially declared the outbreak on May 15, although health authorities believe the virus had already been circulating for several weeks.
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It is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC.
The World Health Organisation has said it hopes to bring the spread of the virus under control within three months, as health workers intensify efforts to contain transmission.
Ebola is a highly infectious viral disease that spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of infected people.
It can cause severe haemorrhagic fever and has claimed more than 15,000 lives across Africa over the past five decades.
While the current outbreak is the deadliest in the DRC, the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded occurred in West Africa between 2013 and 2016.
More than 11,300 people died, with Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea bearing the greatest burden.
Health authorities and international partners continue to mobilise resources to contain the latest outbreak and prevent further loss of life.