DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Shows Signs Of Easing As UN Urges Continued Vigilance

Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo shows signs of easing, but UN officials urge continued vigilance as cases persist in some areas.

United Nations officials have reported signs of improvement in efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, but warned that transmission remains widespread and it is too early to conclude that the epidemic has peaked.

Julien Harneis, the UN special Ebola coordinator, said some areas were recording progress, while infections continued to rise in others.

“The outbreak remains deadly and widespread. Although progress has been made in some areas, we are still seeing cases increase in others,” Harneis told a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday.

The outbreak is currently the second-deadliest Ebola epidemic on record, after the West African outbreak that lasted from 2014 to 2016.