The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has risen to 1,708, with 580 deaths recorded since the outbreak was declared.

The latest figures, released by the DRC on Wednesday, also showed that 280 people have recovered from the disease, while 680 patients remain hospitalised.

Health authorities are monitoring contacts and patients at a follow-up rate of 75.2 per cent across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.

The outbreak is unfolding in eastern DRC, a region affected by years of armed conflict and repeated population displacement, with parts of North Kivu and South Kivu under the partial control of the M23 rebel group.

The government also confirmed that another health worker in Ituri had contracted the disease.

The Congolese government said surveillance, treatment, public awareness and community support activities were continuing in affected communities.

In May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.

Last week, the WHO announced the commencement of a clinical trial in the DRC to evaluate two experimental treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a rare form of Ebola.

The trial, known as the Platform Adaptive Randomised Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus Treatments (PARTNERS), will assess whether the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir can improve survival among people diagnosed with the disease.

The UN health agency said it would also evaluate whether combining the two therapies provides additional benefits.

“While effective treatments have been developed for Ebola virus disease, none are currently approved for Bundibugyo virus disease, and no treatment has been shown to work across all virus types that cause Ebola diseases,” the WHO said.

It added that the treatments were selected following a review of scientific evidence, including preclinical research, safety data and findings from previous Ebola outbreaks.