Confirmed cases in Congo's Ebola outbreak have surpassed 9,000, with more than 4,300 deaths, as health authorities struggle to contain an outbreak spreading across seven provinces, according to government figures released Tuesday.

The Health Ministry reported 9,066 confirmed cases and 4,381 deaths, with the death toll approaching half the number of confirmed cases.

The rising death toll has alarmed health workers and authorities, with a large share of recorded deaths occurring outside treatment centers.