Congo's Ebola outbreak has now recorded more than 4,000 deaths, authorities said as they struggle to contain the spread of the virus. The latest figures were released by the health ministry on Thursday. They show that 4,018 people have died from among 8,300 confirmed cases, making up for nearly half of the confirmed cases in what has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history. Congo announced an outbreak on May 15, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no known treatment or vaccine, The Associated Press said. The World Health Organization has recently raised the alarm regarding the rapid geographical spread of the virus into new health zones, stretching limited resources. Widespread mistrust of health workers and authorities' handling of the outbreak has hampered efforts to slow down the spread of the disease. A local politician was beaten to death last month and attacks on health workers and other responders have been common as the Central African nation battles what is its 17th Ebola outbreak. Authorities last month launched a village-centered approach to fight the outbreak but those efforts continue to face resistance from some residents who dismiss Ebola as a hoax amid a widespread distrust in the country’s government for various reasons, ranging from how it’s managed past Ebola outbreaks to chronic corruption.
