DR Congo: Ebola spreads to city from countryside, one new case registered

Confirming the reports, the country's Health Minister Oly Ilunga Kalenga said that at least a case has been witnessed in Mbandaka, a city with a population of one million people. It is also a major transportation hub.

"One new #Ebola case has been confirmed in an urban area of #DRC. This is a concerning development, but we now have better tools than ever before to combat Ebola. WHO is deploying more experts. Together with our partners we are taking decisive action to stop the outbreak," tweeted Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of World Health Organization.

Reports have further stated that over 40 people have been infected, while 23 have died so far.

According to the World Health Organization's Peter Salama, health workers had 'identified 430 people who may have had contact with the disease and were working to trace more than 4,000 contacts of Ebola patients, who had spread across northwest Congo', read a BBC report.

The WHO has also exported over 4000 doses of experimental vaccine to affected areas in Congo, with more aid expected soon, said the report.

The medicines, manufactured by Merck is unlicensed as of yet, but has been effective in treating the infected patients in West Africa.

Over 11,000 people have died of Ebola in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone between 2014 and 2016.   

Image: twitter.com/WHO