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Congo Ebola Outbreak Tops 11,000 Cases, Death Toll Hits 5,387

The Democratic Republic of Congo has recorded more than 11,000 Ebola infections and 5,387 deaths in its worst outbreak of the disease, according to the country's Health Ministry.

The latest figures, released on Wednesday, show that 11,042 people have been infected since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, with nearly half of them dying.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which has spread to eight of Congo's 26 provinces.

There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the strain.

Authorities have struggled to contain the disease because of armed conflicts, poor roads, a weak health system and resistance from communities affected by misinformation and distrust of health workers.

The violence in Ituri and North Kivu, the two major centres of the outbreak, has also made it difficult for medical teams to reach infected people.

Health facilities and medical workers have faced attacks from residents who question the existence of the virus and the need for medical intervention.

Rose Tchwenko, country director for the Democratic Republic of Congo at Prosper Global, described the situation as overwhelming.

"Across Ituri and North Kivu, this outbreak is stretching everyone responding to it, including the communities themselves," she said in comments reported by The Associated Press.

The outbreak has also spread beyond Congo to other African countries, including Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria.

Ebola was first identified in 1976.

The largest previous outbreak occurred in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, killing more than 11,000 people.

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