The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to two new northeastern provinces, with five provinces now classified as epidemic zones. The death toll has risen to 702 among 1,926 confirmed cases, and a senior WHO official warned the true scale could be two to four times larger than reported.
The Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved treatment exists, has also crossed into Uganda with 20 confirmed cases. The WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 17 May.
A treatment trial testing remdesivir and MBP134 has opened, with enough doses donated for 1,200 patients. A second trial for post-exposure prophylaxis is due to begin this week, though Africa CDC said it still needs $12 million of the $18 million required.