Congo Ebola death toll tops 1,400 as vaccine trials start

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drc EBIKA DEAKTHS TOP 1400The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has continued to spread, with the number of confirmed infections rising to 3,200.

The country's health authorities say that 1,405 people have died from the virus since the outbreak began in late April, with the current fatality rate standing at 43.9%.

Almost 90% of cases have been detected in the northeastern province of Ituri, near the borders with Uganda and South Sudan, according to the World Health Organization.

Experts believe that the actual number of cases may be much higher, with a large number of cases going undetected or unreported. However, authorities attributed part of the sharp increase to improved detection and expanded testing.

The outbreak, declared on May 15, has spread to five provinces in the country's conflict-scarred east.

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