The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed over 500 lives, with the latest data showing a total of 1561 confirmed cases and 506 deaths.

Health authorities are now counting 253 people who have made a full recovery, while 628 patients remain under isolation or hospital care.

The outbreak was declared on May 15 and has since spread to 36 health zones across the Ituri, Nord-Kivu, and Sud-Kivu provinces, where community transmission continues unabated.

Ituri remains the hardest-hit province, accounting for over 91% of all confirmed cases and nearly 84% of all deaths reported so far, according to Congolese authorities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the Bundibugyo strain of the virus is evolving rapidly and continuing to spread with ease. As of July 1, over 10,821 people who have come into contact with confirmed cases are being monitored in Ituri and Nord-Kivu as part of efforts to contain the outbreak.