Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has now spread to the country's seventh province, officials say

In the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) worst Ebola outbreak ever, more than 7,000 cases have been recorded, according to official figures released by Congolese authorities. The government also indicated that the spread of the virus may have peaked, even though it was confirmed in a seventh province. The epidemic began in mid-May and has claimed nearly 3,400 lives in its 17th case of the highly infectious disease.

The outbreak originated in Ituri province, a region plagued by armed conflicts and lacking in state presence and health infrastructure. As of the latest data, 7,022 cases have been recorded, with 3,398 deaths and 1,671 recoveries. Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya stated that the peak occurred at the beginning of the third week of August, and that indicators suggest a decrease in new cases.

Ten out of the 61 health zones affected by the epidemic have not reported any new cases in the past 21 days. Most of the reported cases are in Ituri, where the virus has been detected in schools after students returned from summer holidays, causing concern among parents and health workers.