The death toll from an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo reached 994 on Friday, the World Health Organization reported. The epidemic is expected to exceed 1,000 deaths by the end of the day, marking a grim milestone since the virus began spreading last summer, reports Reuters.
The WHO is working to expand vaccinations by using an unlicensed vaccine as another "tool in the toolbox," said Michael Ryan, director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme. "We are anticipating a scenario of continued intense transmission." There were 27 new Ebola cases confirmed in the DRC on Sunday alone, a new single-day high, and 1,429 confirmed cases in total, reports CNN. The epidemic is the second deadliest in history, and has been exacerbated by violence in the country.
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