Ebola outbreak may be spreading faster than first thought, WHO doctor warns

WHO doctor warns that the Ebola outbreak may be spreading faster than first thought. One man in the Democratic Republic of Congo's northeastern Ituri province said infected people were dying "very fast," adding: "Ebola has tortured us." Officials say the virus is believed to have killed 136 people in the DR Congo, with more than 514 cases now suspected in the country. One person has died in neighbouring Uganda.

Dr. Anne Ancia of the WHO told the BBC that the more the UN agency investigates the outbreak, the clearer it becomes that cases have spread to other areas. Modelling by the London-based MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, released on Monday, suggested there had been "substantial" under-detection, and that it could not rule out more than 1,000 cases already. The Red Cross warned that Ebola can escalate quickly if cases are not identified early, communities lack information and health systems are overwhelmed, adding "we are seeing all those conditions" in the current outbreak. DR Congo President Félix Tshisekedi called for "calm" and urged Congolese citizens to remain vigilant, after holding a crisis meeting on Monday evening. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who declared the outbreak an international emergency last week, said he was "deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic".

The WHO's emergency committee is due to meet soon to assess the situation and recommend priority medical interventions. The cash-strapped organisation has already released almost $4m to combat the outbreak - but much more may be needed. The WHO is evaluating whether other drugs may provide protection. WHO is sending tonnes of health supplies to DR Congo, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and medicine.