The number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has exceeded 3,500, local authorities reported.

A total of 3,532 confirmed cases have been recorded, with 626 people having recovered and 1,556 having died. The mortality rate stands at 44.1%, according to the country’s Ministry of Communication and Media.

On May 17, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda an emergency and a threat to other countries. The WHO assesses the regional risk of the virus spreading as high.