The number of deaths in Democratic Republic ​of Congo's Ebola outbreak has surpassed 4,000, ‌government data showed on Friday, as the worst epidemic in the country's history resists containment efforts.

The outbreak, caused ​by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, became ​the largest and deadliest in Congo after surpassing the ⁠2018-2020 epidemic.

It is now second only to ​the 2014-2016 West African Ebola outbreak, which infected ​over 28,600 people and killed more than 11,000 across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Government figures showed on Friday that ​the death toll had risen to 4,018, ​and confirmed cases had reached 8,300 across seven provinces.

Over 2,000 ‌patients ⁠have recovered from the disease.

Congo's government and the UN said last month there were signs that transmission was slowing in some parts of Ituri ​province, where ​the outbreak ⁠began. But it continues to spread fast across eastern Congo, including in ​neighbouring North Kivu.

South Ubangi province, located in ​the ⁠northwest of the country, became the seventh province to declare the outbreak last month after a ⁠man ​who had travelled from eastern ​Congo died of the virus.