The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is spreading toward a major population center, a World Health Organization official told Vox.
Three things to know:
1. The Congo's health ministry this week confirmed four Ebola cases in the town of Kayina, which is halfway between Butembo — a current hotspot for the outbreak — and Goma, where 1 million people reside.
2. While the outbreak has not hit the country's largest cities, the new Ebola cases' proximity to Goma "raises the alarm," Peter Salama, MD, WHO's deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response, told Vox. The organization deployed a rapid response and vaccination team to Kayina to address the new cases.
3. As of Jan. 20, the WHO reported 689 confirmed and probable Ebola cases linked to the outbreak, along with 422 deaths.