The number of Ebola cases is increasing at a high rate in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the Health Ministry situation update on Sunday.
The number of confirmed cases swelled to more than 700, including 149 deaths since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
Some 16 confirmed cases have been reported among health and care workers to date.
The ministry has attributed the increase to the scale up of testing and diagnostic capacities, which has facilitated testing of the backlog of previously collected samples.
The fatality rate has increased to 21% up from 20% last week, while 324 patients remain in isolation or in hospital.
The ministry said a joint team of central government and provincial authorities is working with partners and local communities to accelerate public health interventions expected to break chains of transmission.
“The response continues with strengthened contact tracing, community awareness-raising and patient care,” the update said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that the reported case fatality in Congo could likely be an underestimation, as many deaths that occurred before the outbreak declaration remain under investigation. So far, as many as 32 patients have recovered.
The outbreak has been concentrated in 29 health zones in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
