PRETORIA, June 6. /TASS/. The number of laboratory-confirmed deaths from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached 86, the Congolese Health Ministry said in a daily bulletin.

Six more people have died over the past 24 hours. The number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to 488, up from 452 on Friday evening.

The ministry said intensive efforts are continuing to prevent the further spread of the virus. Authorities are expanding medical isolation facilities in Ituri Province, the epicenter of the current outbreak. Additional protective equipment for medical workers and support staff is also being delivered to the facilities.

The governments of the DRC and Uganda officially announced the outbreak on May 15. Experts say it is one of the largest and most dangerous outbreaks since the Ebola virus was first identified in 1976.