The United Nations health agency said that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 31 people in the past week.
The disease might threaten major towns in the Congo if it is not properly contained, officials told Reuters.
“The epidemic is not under control. On the contrary the situation is very, very serious,” Eugene Kabambi, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), told the news agency. Five health workers were also killed by the virus.
“If nothing is done now, the disease will reach other places, and even major towns will be threatened,” he added.
An Ebola epidemic was declared in mid-August in the northwestern Congo.
There is no known treatment or vaccine for Ebola, which was named after a river of the same name in the Congo, and is spread through close personal contact. It is deadly in 40 percent to 90 percent of cases, causing severe internal bleeding.
A spokesperson for WHO, Gregory Hartl, told The Associated Press that there currently are 41 “probable and confirmed cases” and 28 suspected cases. “The rule is that many of the suspected cases are later discarded,” he added.
In nearby Uganda, Ebola killed 16 people but health workers have said this outbreak is not related to the one in the Congo.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
