Ebola outbreak in Congo kills 600, fastest-growing on record, WHO says

Just three days ago, 500 people were reported to have died in the epidemic spreading in Central and East Africa. 1,759 people have been confirmed infected.

The outbreak in Congo-Kinshasa started in May and has affected four provinces, but Ituri province in the northeast of the country has been hit hardest.

The current outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo variant, for which there is no vaccine or specific treatment.

"It is the fastest-growing outbreak ever, not just among previous outbreaks of the Bundibugyo variant, but among all the different viruses that cause Ebola," says Wessam Mankoula at Africa CDC.