The head of the World Health Organization is sharing deep concerns over an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Officials say more than two dozen suspected Ebola deaths were recorded in 24 hours, bringing the total to more than 130 fatalities associated with a rare strain of the virus.
There have been more than 500 suspected cases and more than 30 confirmed cases, according to health officials. The German government on Tuesday, May 19, confirmed that an American who contracted Ebola will be treated at a hospital in Berlin.
A DRC government spokesperson stated that cases are now being reported over a wider area. Cases have been detected in new areas, including Nyakunde in Ituri province, Butembo in North Kivu, and the city of Goma, and concerns are growing.
An American doctor in the DRC is among those with a confirmed case, according to the medical missionary group they worked with and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the CDC, there are also two confirmed cases and one fatality in Uganda.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak of the now-widespread Ebola strain, caused by the Bundibugyo variant, a public health emergency of international concern.