The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to 63 health zones across seven provinces, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The global health body said on Friday that two new health zones, Bulu in Sud Ubangi province and Dungu in Haut-Uele province near the South Sudan border, have recorded infections, raising concerns about cross-border transmission.
As of September 23, the country has reported 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 48.1 percent. The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that conflict, displacement and access challenges are hampering response efforts, making contact tracing and early detection more difficult. He added that while cases are declining in some areas, transmission remains uneven across affected regions.
The provinces currently affected include Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Sud Ubangi and Tshopo. WHO continues to assess the risk of further spread within DR Congo as very high and the risk to neighboring countries as high, as the outbreak has become the largest ever recorded in the country.
Ebola Spreads To 63 Health Zones In DR Congo As Cases Hit 7,890
