DR Congo Ebola outbreak surpasses 11,000 cases as conflict hampers response

The Democratic Republic of Congo's worst ever Ebola outbreak has surpassed 11,000 confirmed cases. With armed conflict hampering efforts to contain the disease, the National Institute of Public Health reported 11,042 infections and 5,387 deaths. Around 2,990 people have recovered so far. The figures were released on Wednesday. That break was officially declared in May, though experts believe it may have begun weeks or months earlier. It is the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC. The virus, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids, has caused severe hemorrhagic fever. The latest outbreak began in northeastern Ituri province and has spread to seven other provinces, with most cases in Ituri and North Kivu. Cases have also been reported in Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria. Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years.