The Number of Ebola Victims in Congo Increases to 600 Souls

JAKARTA - New cases suspected of being infected with Ebola have been reported in several areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo that were previously unaffected, the government said, as the death toll in the country's latest Ebola outbreak reached 600.

The latest report from the Congolese government says two new cases are suspected in Kisangani, Tshopo Province, where cases have never been recorded before.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country now stands at 1,759, according to Al Arabiya citing The Associated Press (10/7).

According to the report, one of the two suspected cases is linked to the Nia-Nia health zone in Ituri province, where the first case was reported, while the other case "has no clear geographical association with the known outbreak." Authorities are investigating.

Congolese authorities declared a new Ebola outbreak on May 15, after the disease had been circulating for weeks without official detection, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The latest outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment.

Last Sunday, clinical trials for the treatment began after researchers launched a much-anticipated study in hopes of fighting the virus.

Efforts to contain the virus have also been hampered by a lack of funding, attacks on health centers, and ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, the epicenter of the outbreak.