WHO chief concerned at speed and scale of Ebola outbreak

GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization on Tuesday said he was deeply concerned at the speed and scale of the Ebola outbreak, as the number of cases rises.

There are at least 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths from Ebola since the new outbreak began, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Later figures put the toll at 131 fatalities associated with the outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. There have been 516 suspected cases and 33 confirmed cases in DR Congo, according to a daily bulletin published by health authorities, and two confirmed cases in neighboring Uganda.

EXPLAINER: What is ebola?

"These numbers will change as field operations are scaling up, including strengthening surveillance, contact tracing and laboratory testing," Tedros told members of the World Health Assembly, who are meeting this week in Geneva.

"I'm deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic," he added.

A meeting of the WHO's Emergency Committee is scheduled for later on Tuesday to discuss the Ebola outbreak, Ghebreyesus said.

WHO had earlier declared the outbreak an emergency of international concern.

An emergency committee is made up of international experts who provide technical advice and recommendations to the WHO chief.

There are several factors that have made the WHO concerned about the potential for further spread, such as cases in urban areas, including Kampala, Uganda, and Goma in the DRC, as well as the conflict-affected province of Ituri.

Cases reported among health workers also indicate healthcare-associated transmission, Ghebreyesus said. — Reuters