Outbreak spread undetected for weeks before May 15 declaration, WHO says

As the death toll from the nation's most recent Ebola outbreak hit 600, the government revealed that new suspected cases of the disease had been recorded in previously unaffected areas of Congo.

According to the Congolese government's most recent report, which was released late on Wednesday, two new cases were suspected in Tshopo province's Kisangani, where no cases had previously been reported. As of right today, 1,759 cases have been confirmed nationwide.

The Nia-Nia health zone in Ituri province, where the initial cases were reported, was connected to one of the two probable cases, while the other case "has no apparent geographical connection to known outbreaks," according to the study. The authorities were looking into it. According to the World Health Organization, the disease had been spreading for weeks without official discovery when the Congolese authorities announced a new Ebola outbreak on May 15. The uncommon Bundibugyo virus, which has no recognized vaccine or treatment, is the cause of the most recent outbreak.

In an effort to combat the virus, researchers started a highly anticipated investigation last week, which led to the start of clinical trials for treatment. A lack of finance, attacks on medical facilities, and the ongoing fighting in eastern Congo, the outbreak's epicenter, have all hindered efforts to contain the infection.