Most of the cases so far have been in DRC, with the outbreak mainly in the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara of Ituri province, bordering Uganda.
But the WHO said on Saturday that the virus seems to have jumped to neighbouring North Kivu, while a case has also been found in the capital Kinshasa after someone travelled across the vast country.
The location in a cross-border trade hub where large numbers of people were also fleeing insecurity meant a risk of spread to Uganda and South Sudan, Dr Kaseya said.
“We are talking about a region that is very vulnerable and fragile,” he said. “The risk is huge to see this outbreak spreading also in other areas. For now, we are still talking about moderate for the continent, but high for the region. When we talk about the region, we talk mostly about Eastern Africa.”
At least four healthcare workers have also reported symptoms associated with a viral haemorrhagic fever, raising concerns about “gaps in infection prevention and control measures, and the potential for amplification within health facilities”, according to the WHO.
“There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time,” the UN health agency said. “In addition, there is limited understanding of the epidemiological links with known or suspected cases.”
Complicating the response is the strain of Ebola. There is no vaccine for the strain, unlike the more common Zaire strain, though Dr Kaseya said there were candidates in early trials.
