Ebola deaths in DRC pass 4,000 as unpaid health workers protest

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 4,000 deaths, with 8,300 cases recorded since it was declared in May, making it the fastest-growing outbreak in history. The outbreak has worsened in North Kivu province, accounting for 40% of new confirmed cases since late August, while unpaid health workers in Ituri Province protested for wages owed for August and September. A transit center for infected patients was also burned by soldiers, forcing 19,000 people to flee. The World Health Organization warns the outbreak may exceed the deadliest on record, which killed 11,000 people in West Africa from 2014 to 2016. Mobile laboratories have reduced test result times from 72 to six hours, though insecurity and community mistrust continue hampering containment efforts.