Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda tops 1,000 deaths
What's new: WHO counted 2,493 cases across both countries, while Uganda has gone three weeks without a new infection.
An Ebola outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 1,000 people in Congo and neighboring Uganda since it was declared in May, according to the World Health Organization. WHO recorded 2,473 confirmed cases and 999 deaths in Congo, plus 20 cases and two deaths in Uganda, bringing the combined toll above 1,000 deaths. The outbreak began in Ituri province in northeastern Congo and has spread to four other provinces. Health workers say poverty, insecurity and unsafe burials are making contact tracing harder in areas affected by armed groups. Uganda said most of its cases were Congolese border crossers and that it has reported no new cases for three weeks. There is no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, though trials are under way.