The World Health Organisation (WHO) has appealed for more international help to control the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), stating the spread of the virus is still running ahead of response efforts.
The outbreak, declared less than three months ago, has become the largest Ebola epidemic on record in the DRC, raising concerns about the ability of health authorities and partners to bring it under control.
The most recent government update said 3,802 cases and 1,707 deaths had been reported since the outbreak began.
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The outbreak is mostly in remote Ituri Province in eastern DRC, which accounts for almost 90% of all reported cases. Infections have been confirmed in five other provinces.
The WHO said on Tuesday it was tracking more than 17,000 possible contacts, with some 80% of those contacts being monitored on a daily basis.
The organisation said that while there are no vaccines or treatments proven for Ebola at the moment, two clinical trials for post-exposure drugs are underway in Ituri Province.
Two separate vaccine trials are also under way in the United Kingdom and Canada, WHO said, as efforts continue to find effective tools to contain the disease and prevent further spread.
