The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep alarm over the speed and scale of the Ebola outbreak, as the number of cases continues to rise.

WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there are at least 500 suspected cases and 130 suspected deaths since the new outbreak began.

These figures are in addition to one confirmed death and one confirmed case in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, and 30 confirmed cases in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, he said.

“These numbers will change as field operations expand, including enhanced surveillance, contact tracing and laboratory testing,” he told the World Health Assembly, which is meeting in Geneva this week.