Kinshasa, July 13 (SANA)Confirmed Ebola cases in theDemocratic Republic of the Congohave risen to 1,873, with the death toll among confirmed infections increasing to 672, according to the latest update released by local health authorities.

Reuters quoted the authorities as saying in an update issued on Sunday that the outbreak has so far resulted in 1,873 confirmed infections, including 672 deaths.

The previous official update, released on Friday, reported 1,830 confirmed cases and 648 deaths.

Health officials believe the virus had been circulating for months before the Democratic Republic of the Congo officially confirmed its firstEbola caseon May 15, exposing many healthcare workers to infection before they were aware of the outbreak.

Health authorities continue to report severe shortages of basic protective equipment, including gloves and face masks, complicating efforts to contain the spread of the virus