The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has recorded 101 confirmed deaths from the ongoing Ebola outbreak, with persistent insecurity in affected regions continuing to undermine efforts to contain the disease.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, was officially declared on May 15. However, health authorities believe the virus had been circulating undetected for several weeks before it was identified.

According to the latest situation report released by the Congolese government on Monday, 35 new confirmed cases, including 10 deaths, were reported within the previous 24 hours.

The latest figures bring the total number of confirmed Ebola cases to 550, while confirmed fatalities have risen to 101.

The outbreak has spread across three conflict-affected eastern provinces — Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. Health authorities reported that cases have been identified in 17 health zones in Ituri Province, seven health zones in North Kivu and one health zone in South Kivu.

Officials said community mistrust and resistance to public health interventions remain major obstacles to controlling the outbreak. Authorities have also reported repeated attacks on burial teams and treatment centres involved in the response efforts.

A source familiar with the government’s response operations disclosed that the latest attack occurred on Sunday at Nyamurongo Cemetery in Bunia, where a burial team was targeted by assailants.

The incident reportedly left two people seriously injured and resulted in damage to two vehicles belonging to the response team.

The government report further noted that the activities of armed groups in the territories of Djugu, Irumu and Mambasa in Ituri Province continue to restrict humanitarian access to several affected and high-risk health zones.

Despite the security challenges, authorities said Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, remains relatively calm.

Earlier on Monday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported 544 confirmed Ebola cases and 88 confirmed deaths in the DRC, highlighting the rapidly evolving nature of the outbreak.