The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has spread to another health zone, bringing the number of affected zones to 61 across six provinces, the World Health Organization said.
In its latest update, the WHO said the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, had reached the Kayna health zone in North Kivu since its previous assessment on August 28.
As of September 7, authorities had recorded 6,757 confirmed cases and 3,267 deaths, putting the case fatality rate at 48.3%.
The outbreak is affecting health zones in Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tshopo provinces.
The WHO said transmission patterns remain uneven across affected areas, with some health zones continuing to report rising infections and signs of further geographical spread.
The agency warned that the persistently high death rate highlights serious challenges in detecting cases early, ensuring patients receive timely treatment and breaking chains of transmission.
Delays in identifying infections are also increasing the risk of the virus spreading within households, communities and health facilities, the WHO said.
