At least 131 deaths have been reported in an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with more than 513 cases suspected, local officials have said.
A spokesman for the DR Congo government said cases were now being reported over a wider area.
Key Highlights:
- An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reportedly caused at least 131 deaths and over 513 suspected cases.
- Cases have spread to additional areas including Nyakunde, Butembo, and Goma.
- Uganda has also reported two confirmed Ebola cases and one death.
- The World Health Organization declared the outbreak an international emergency, while health teams continue tracing infections and urging calm.
- An American doctor working in DR Congo reportedly tested positive for Ebola, and several Americans exposed to the virus are being evacuated or quarantined.
There are also two confirmed cases and one death in Uganda, says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak of the current strain of Ebola, which is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, an international emergency.
As this deadly Ebola outbreak continues to spread, the Congolese government has sought to reassure people that its response teams are working hard to trace and investigate suspected infections, and that there is no need for panic.
However, with cases now identified in new areas, including Nyakunde in Ituri Province, Butembo in North Kivu, and the city of Goma, concern is inevitably growing.
An American doctor in the DR Congo is among those with a confirmed case, the medical missionary group they were working with, and the CDC has said.
The individual will now be taken to Germany for treatment, they told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.
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While the CDC did not name the American working in the country, medical missionary group Serge said one of its US doctors, Peter Stafford, had tested positive for Ebola.
Two other doctors from the group who were exposed while treating patients, including Stafford’s wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, did not have symptoms and were following quarantine protocols, the group said in a statement.
CBS News also quoted sources as saying that at least six Americans have been exposed to the Ebola virus during the outbreak in the DR Congo.
The CDC said it was supporting the “safe withdrawal of a small number of Americans who are directly affected,” but did not confirm how many.
The US government is reportedly looking to arrange transport for the small group of Americans in DR Congo to a safe quarantine location, a source told health news site STAT.
Quoting a source, the site adds that the group could be taken to a US military base in Germany, though this has not been confirmed.
The CDC declined to answer direct questions about the US citizens reportedly affected during a press conference on Sunday.
