The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 1,561, while the death toll has reached 506 since the country's 17th Ebola outbreak was declared on May 15, health authorities said.

According to the Ministry of Health, the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. A total of 253 patients have recovered, while 628 people remain in isolation or are receiving treatment.

The outbreak has affected 36 health zones across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, where health teams continue surveillance, case detection and contact tracing efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

Authorities have also launched clinical trials of experimental antiviral treatments as part of the response. More than 100 healthcare workers have been infected during the outbreak, underscoring the risks faced by frontline medical personnel.

The Congolese government declared the outbreak after health officials reported hundreds of suspected infections and dozens of deaths in Ituri Province.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17, prompting an intensified international response aimed at strengthening surveillance, laboratory testing and patient care.

Health officials said the Bundibugyo strain remains one of the rarer Ebola variants and currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, making early detection, isolation and supportive medical care the primary tools for controlling the outbreak.(ILKHA)