A Red Cross official warned that the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has not yet peaked and could last a year, Reuters reported.
The African country has so far recorded more than 800 cases of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no proven treatment or vaccine. The virus has killed 192 people. The disease, transmitted through bodily fluids even after death, is spreading rapidly in three provinces.
"It is very difficult to say how widespread the outbreak is. "But the peak of the disease has not yet arrived," said Bruno Michon, operations manager for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). "We fear it could last a year," he added.
The response has been hampered by a lack of treatment centers and community resistance to strict hygiene measures. More than a month after the outbreak was declared, the true scale is still unknown.