Ebola spread in DR Congo 'deeply alarming', MSF warns

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warned that the rapid spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has created a "deeply alarming" situation. MSF deputy director Dr. Alan Gonzales said, "Never before has an Ebola outbreak recorded so many cases so soon after its declaration."

There are now more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases in the DR Congo, and at least 246 deaths. Neighbouring Uganda has reported nine confirmed cases and one death. Dr. Gonzales stated that containment efforts and humanitarian aid deliveries were being delayed by "major constraints", including border and airport closures. The WHO has repeatedly warned that ongoing conflict in the DR Congo was also significantly hampering the Ebola outbreak response. WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited the eastern Congolese province of Ituri to oversee virus containment efforts.

After arriving in Ituri's provincial capital of Bunia on Saturday, Tedros said he and his team were in the DR Congo "to see how the response is running and if there are challenges to help". Health officials in Brazil said on Saturday that they were investigating a suspected Ebola case in São Paulo state. Brazilian media report that a 37-year-old man - who had recently returned from the DR Congo - was now in isolation in an infectious diseases institute.