The World Health Organization has raised its risk assessment for the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to "very high" as the virus spreads rapidly.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported 82 confirmed cases and seven deaths, but warned the actual scale is much larger. There are now nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or therapeutics. This strain was previously detected in Uganda in 2007-08 and in Congo in 2012.
In Uganda, two cases were confirmed in people who had traveled from DRC, with one death. Measures including contact tracing appear to have contained further spread there.
An American national working in DRC has tested positive and was transferred to Germany for care. Another American high-risk contact has been moved to the Czech Republic.
WHO has deployed 22 international staff and released $3.9 million from its emergency fund. The UN has allocated $60 million to the response.
An Ebola treatment center in Rwampara was set on fire Thursday after locals protested burial protocols. Officials say community distrust remains a major challenge.
The provinces of Ituri and North Kivu are highly insecure, with ongoing fighting displacing more than 100,000 people. Four million people need urgent humanitarian assistance, two million are displaced, and 10 million face acute hunger.