Confirmed Ebola cases in Congo top 1,000. More than a quarter have died, officials say.

Key Points:

• The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo's Ituri province has reached 1,003 confirmed cases and 254 deaths, with 100 recoveries and 365 patients currently hospitalized or isolated, according to the Ministry of Health.
• The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus which lacks vaccines or treatments, is considered the worst in its first month, with officials warning the peak is still ahead and that many cases may be unreported.
• Contact tracing remains a major challenge, with only 55% coverage and more than 35,000 contacts yet to be traced, hindered by ongoing violence from ISIS-backed rebels that disrupt access to affected villages.
• Concerns are rising about a potential outbreak in the overcrowded Kigonze displacement camp in Bunia after 10 unexplained deaths were reported, though no Ebola cases have been confirmed there.
• The UN refugee agency highlighted the high risk to over 2 million displaced people living in Ebola-affected areas and stressed the urgent need to control the virus to prevent a catastrophic spread among vulnerable communities.