The DRC Health Ministry reported 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths on Tuesday, a death toll of nearly half the known cases.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has become the largest and deadliest in the DRC's history. Globally, only the 2014 to 2016 West African epidemic was larger, with 28,600 confirmed cases and more than 11,000 deaths across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization.
The Bundibugyo strain currently has no approved vaccines or treatments, raising concerns over cross-border transmission. Last week, Kenya reported its first imported case: a Kenyan national who lived in the DRC travelled through Uganda before reaching Nairobi, where he died. Uganda also reported 20 cases and two deaths earlier in the year, but was declared Ebola-free in August.
The current outbreak was announced in mid-May, though some experts suspect it began as early as February. The virus, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, has spread to seven provinces in the north and east of the country.
Containment efforts face significant obstacles. Health workers and other responders in the DRC confront mistrust in local communities, with many believing the disease is a ruse for officials to siphon off money. The outbreak is also occurring amid ongoing conflict between the M23 rebel group and government forces, making transport of healthcare resources to remote regions difficult.