Congo Ebola outbreak still spreading, WHO warns

The Ebola outbreak in Congo has not yet stabilised and ​is still expanding, with transmission fuelled by ‌population movement, a World Health Official said on Tuesday.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed 1,561 ​cases, including 506 deaths, in the worst-ever ​outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo species of ⁠Ebola for which there is no ​proven treatment or cure.

"It is still in the ​expansion phase unfortunately. We would like to say it is stabilising but frankly we cannot say it ​yet," Dr Anne Ancia, WHO representative in ​the country, told reporters by video link from Bunia, at ‌the ⁠epicentre of the epidemic.

She said that major challenges remained, such as the near-saturation of some Ebola treatment centres with occupancy ​levels around 90%.

Another ​difficulty is ⁠that workers falling ill in the mining town of Mongbwalu are ​not seeking treatment locally, but instead ​travelling ⁠and spreading the disease to new regions, she said.
"Population movements, persistent insecurity and the fragility ⁠of ​the health system continue ​to complicate efforts to bring the outbreak under control," she ​said.

-Reuters