Ebola infections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have rebounded after a brief decline, while the virus' spread to other African countries is complicating efforts to contain an outbreak that has already claimed more than 4,600 lives, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned in its latest situation report Wednesday.
"The most recent seven-day moving average indicates a modest upward trend, suggesting renewed intensification of transmission," the WHO Regional Office for Africa said in the report, highlighting the outbreak's "widening international dimension and the growing complexity."
The DRC recorded 1,466 confirmed cases between September 29 and October 19, up 10.4% from the preceding 21-day period, while confirmed deaths rose 7.5% to 692, according to the report.
As of October 19, the DRC had recorded 9,637 confirmed cases and 4,646 deaths across eight of its 26 provinces.
Meanwhile, the outbreak's international spread has added a new layer of complexity to containment efforts.
Kenya has reported nine confirmed cases, including one death, with all eight secondary infections linked to an imported case and detected among people already under quarantine, according to the WHO report.
Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case on Tuesday, involving a woman who had traveled from Uganda earlier this month. Uganda has stepped up Ebola screening at the Entebbe International Airport following reports that the woman had transited through the airport in early October.
The WHO warned that the prolonged interval between symptom onset and laboratory confirmation raised concerns about "potentially undetected exposures and secondary transmission."
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Tuesday that the outbreak had become the most geographically widespread Ebola epidemic on record, with infections reported across Central, Eastern and Western Africa. Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya has called for greater global solidarity and international support to contain further transmission.
In its latest assessment, the WHO said the outbreak remained "at a critical juncture," warning that escalating insecurity, population displacement and restricted humanitarian access in the DRC were "further challenging response operations and increasing the risk of undetected transmission."