The World Health Organization warned on Thursday that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was spreading at an alarming pace, as health authorities reported additional confirmed cases and deaths. The agency called for expanded ring vaccination and stronger contact tracing.

The DRC declared the outbreak in recent weeks after laboratory tests confirmed the Zaire strain of the virus. Congolese health officials, working with WHO teams, have deployed rapid response units and begun administering the Ervebo vaccine to frontline workers and identified contacts.

Geographic spread of infections and delays in early detection have complicated containment efforts, WHO officials said. Treatment centres are being established in affected zones, while epidemiologists monitor transmission chains to prevent movement into neighbouring provinces and across borders.

The WHO is scaling up support and releasing emergency funds to reinforce the response, a WHO spokesperson said. Neighbouring countries, including Uganda and Rwanda, have been urged to strengthen border screening and prepare their own surveillance and isolation capacity.

Ebola outbreaks in the DRC have recurred over the past decade, with the country drawing on experience from previous epidemics. Swift vaccination and community engagement remain the most effective tools to halt transmission, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.