Ebola transmission is drastically decreasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo, signaling a potential end in sight for the record-breaking 14-month outbreak, reports CIDRAP News.
The disease has shifted from the Congo's major cities to more rural areas, according to Mike Ryan, MD, the WHO's executive director of health emergencies.
"The virus is now back to where it began in Mandima, the same rural zones where it transmitted at low intensity for several months before last August," he said during an Oct. 10 press conference, according to CIDRAP News.
Ebola is still present in 27 health zones in the Congo, down from the 207 zones affected during the outbreak's peak.
"Although the decline in case incidence is encouraging, it must be interpreted with caution as the situation remains highly contingent upon the level of access and security," the WHO said in a news release.
As of Oct. 10, the agency has reported 3,210 confirmed and probable Ebola cases linked to the outbreak, including 2,144 deaths.