Ebola cases in DR Congo rise to 3,200, with 1,405 dead | Story

Cases have risen by 1,000 in just 10 days as the epidemic continues to spread across five states.

The number of people infected with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 3,200, according to the government, including at least 1,405 deaths.

This was released on Sunday as doctors struggle to contain the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC, with infections rising by nearly 1,000 in just 10 days.

The outbreak, which was announced on May 15, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is no approved vaccine or treatment.

The World Health Organization says nearly 90 percent of the cases have been reported in northeastern Ituri, which borders South Sudan and Uganda.

The United Nations says the virus is in five regions, including two new regions where it has recently spread.

“A lot of times the humanitarian community wants to help, but the real problem is coming,” said Hedley Tah of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), which airs medical and emergency response teams.

In addition to moving staff to the affected areas, Tah added that UNHAS is “moving samples for lab testing to ensure that accuracy continues”.

Officials say improved detection and testing have helped diagnose many diseases.

The outbreak could take months, and a strike by health workers demanding unpaid wages has disrupted efforts at some hospitals.

Ebola, which spreads through body fluids and causes fever, has killed more than 15,000 people across Africa over the past 50 years.

Scientists are racing to develop a vaccine and drug against the Bundibugyo strain, with Oxford University reporting on Friday that the first group of volunteers received an experimental vaccine targeting the strain.

Several other vaccines are being actively pursued in clinical trials, while two potential vaccines are also being developed.