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Ebola Virus Spreads to New Areas in Eastern DRC, WHO Reports

Lisa Schlein

   GENEVA - The World Health Organization said Friday that the deadly
   Ebola virus had spread to new areas in easternDemocratic Republic of
   the Congo.The number of cases was 2,934, including 1,965 deaths, it
   said.

   Since mid-June, the WHO has reported an average of 80 new Ebola cases
   every week. It said, though, that these numbers have been falling in
   recent weeks.
   Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO'sHealth Emergencies Program,
   said two new health zones,Mwengain South Kivu andPingain North Kivu,
   had reported cases in the past week, and that the risk of further
   spread remained high.

   "The geographic extension of the virus has increased while the
   intensity of transmission has reduced in that time," he said. "So we
   are winning against the virus in the intense transmission areas, but
   still failing to prevent the further extension of the virus into other
   areas before the disease is properly extinguished."
   Ryan noted progress in containing the disease was being made in some
   areas. He said some powerful tools were being put to good use in
   tackling the disease. He saida vaccine now is available that is
   protecting people from becoming infected, which wasn't the case in
   previous outbreaks. Also, two new therapeutics are successfully saving
   the lives of people with Ebola who seek early treatment.

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