The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has killed 600 people, according to the latest figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO), just days after the death toll exceeded 500.

The WHO reported that since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, the DRC has recorded 1,759 confirmed Ebola cases, including 600 deaths. In neighbouring Uganda, two people have died from the virus, while 17 of the country's 20 confirmed cases have recovered.

Data from the UN health agency shows that the outbreak in the DRC has a case fatality rate of 34 per cent, based on information provided by national health authorities. So far, 285 patients have recovered, while 304 suspected cases are still being investigated. The disease has spread across four provinces in the country's northeast, with Ituri Province remaining the centre of the outbreak.

Health officials said the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare variant that currently has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. To improve treatment options, the DRC began clinical trials on July 2 to assess two experimental therapies—the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir—both separately and in combination.

Ebola is a severe viral disease that spreads through direct contact with infected people or their bodily fluids. The DRC officially declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15 after several deaths were reported in Ituri Province, a mineral-rich region that has faced years of armed conflict and insecurity.