ALMOST 1,000 DIED FROM EBOLA

BUNIA, JULY 22 /SRNA/ - The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 2,473, including 999 deaths, the Congolese government announced.

The Congolese Public Health Institute said in its latest report that 50 new cases were registered on Monday, July 20, in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, in the east of the country.

The World Health Organization /WHO/ declared the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on May 17.

The WHO assesses the regional risk of the virus spreading as high.

Ebola is highly contagious and can be transmitted to humans from wild animals. It is spread in humans through contact with bodily fluids, as well as contaminated surfaces and materials such as bedding and clothing.

The disease is rare, but severe and often fatal.