GENEVA, July 22. /TASS/. The death count from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda has increased to 1,001, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The bulk of the casualties, or 999 people, died in the DRC.

There were 2,473 laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola in the DRC, and 20 cases in Uganda.

There are also 322 suspected cases of Ebola in the DRC. 501 people in both countries recovered. The mortality rate stands at 40%.

The DRC government announced an outbreak of the Ebola fever on May 15. On the same day, the Ugandan Health Ministry confirmed the first imported case of the disease.

On May 17, the Director-General of the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak is centered in the Ituri province, which borders Uganda.