DRC's fast-growing Ebola outbreak spreads to sixth province

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reached a sixth province, according to The Guardian and the World Health Organization. A man who fell ill in Haut-Uele died after travelling to the neighbouring province of Bas-Uele, a sign of how the virus keeps moving through a vast and difficult-to-reach country.

The outbreak has involved more than 4,500 cases and more than 2,100 deaths, and the head of the WHO has said it is on track to surpass the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history, the 2014-16 epidemic in West Africa that killed at least 11,000 people. Health teams are working to trace contacts, vaccinate those at risk and treat the sick.

The spread into Bas-Uele raises the stakes for responders operating across borders and through remote communities. What to watch now is whether vaccination and surveillance can slow transmission in the newly affected province and keep the outbreak from pushing further into the region.