The deadly outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is spreading faster than efforts to contain it, the World Health Organization warned Monday.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said those responding to the epidemic were “playing catch-up” because of delays in detecting cases.
The WHO confirmed that the latest number of suspected deaths stood at 220, with more than 900 suspected cases. Tedros said the epidemic was likely to get worse before it gets better.
His comments come after the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned Saturday that 10 African countries were at risk from the worsening outbreak: Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.
The WHO raised its risk assessment for DRC to “very high” on Friday. In neighboring Uganda, seven cases have been confirmed in people who traveled from DRC.
On Friday, the United States temporarily banned green-card holders from entering the country if they had been in DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days. U.S. citizens, nationals, and green card holders had previously been exempt from a 30-day ban.
The CDC has said the current Ebola risk to the U.S. ‘remains low’.
An American doctor working in DRC, identified as Dr. Peter Stafford, is among those to have tested positive for Ebola. He was taken to Germany for treatment and is not considered critically ill. His wife, who is also a doctor, and their four children have tested negative.
Follow the latest updates below.
