The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen above 1,800 as the outbreak spreads into a fourth province, according to health authorities.
The Health Ministry said Saturday that 1,830 cases, including 648 deaths, have been recorded since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
A further 780 patients are receiving treatment, while 284 people have recovered.
Until this week, the outbreak had been concentrated in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu.
Authorities confirmed Friday that the virus had also reached Haut-Uele province in northeastern Congo, where seven fatal cases were detected in the Wamba health zone.
The ministry said response operations were continuing across the affected provinces, supported by strengthened national coordination, epidemiological surveillance and community outreach.
International donors and health partners have pledged $910 million to support Ebola response efforts in Congo and neighbouring Uganda, where 20 cases have been reported.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that multidisciplinary expert teams had been deployed to priority health zones that account for around 83% of reported infections.
Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya warned that delays in detecting and responding to outbreaks could cost lives.
He said health systems must be strengthened at community level through trusted health workers, effective surveillance and rapid access to emergency financing.
The World Health Organization classified the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17, two days after Congolese authorities formally declared the outbreak.