473 DIE OF EBOLA, MORE THAN 1,500 INFECTED

PRETORIA, JULY 4 /SRNA/ – The number of laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached 1,502, an increase of 42 over the previous 24 hours, the Ministry of Communications and Media said.

"The death toll has risen to 473, which is 26 more than the previous day. The case fatality rate stands at 31.4 percent," the statement reads.

A total of 628 patients are currently receiving hospital treatment or are being cared for in medical isolation units, while 213 people have recovered so far.

The ministry said that contact tracing has covered 81.8 percent of cases, with 11,360 people currently under monitoring after having been in contact with individuals confirmed to have Ebola.

The first confirmed Ebola cases were recorded on May 15 in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with the epicentre of the outbreak located in Ituri Province.