Confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have risen to 782, including 181 deaths. Government data released on Sunday revealed 72 new cases documented within a 24-hour period, marking one of the largest single-day increases seen during the ongoing outbreak.
The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus strain, remains confined to three eastern provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. However, the virus has expanded into new areas, with cases confirmed for the first time in the Nia-Nia health zone in Ituri and the Mabalako health zone in North Kivu.
Currently, confirmed cases are present in 20 of Ituri's 36 health zones, 10 of North Kivu's 34 health zones, and one health zone in South Kivu. Efforts to contain the spread are being complicated by years of conflict in the region, which has displaced nearly a million people.