The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to spread, but there are promising signs of improvement.

Operativ Media reports that this was stated by the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"We are starting to see promising signs that we are gaining the upper hand against the Ebola outbreak. Trials for treating survivors and preventing [re-infection] are already accelerating. Vaccine trials are expected to begin in the coming weeks. But keep in mind: the outbreak continues to spread and claim lives," Africanews television quoted him as saying.

According to the DRC Ministry of Communication and Media, the number of laboratory-confirmed Ebola deaths in the country has exceeded 3,500. The total number of deaths has reached 3,510, with 7,258 cases of infection. The mortality rate stands at 48.4%.

There are 903 patients with symptoms of the disease in hospitals and isolation centers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The contact tracing rate for those who have been in contact with Ebola-infected individuals is 78.6%.

The Ebola outbreak has affected seven of the country's 26 provinces. Ituri province, the epicenter of the current outbreak, accounts for 78% of confirmed cases.

The Ebola outbreak began on May 15 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, becoming the second deadliest outbreak in Africa. Uganda declared the end of its Ebola outbreak on July 28, which was confirmed by the WHO on August 25.

The largest Ebola outbreak occurred between 2014 and 2016 in West Africa, affecting Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. According to the WHO, the number of cases reached 28,600, and the death toll exceeded 11,000.

The Ebola virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals. The first case of infection was recorded in 1976 in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The DRC is currently experiencing its 17th Ebola outbreak.