Trial for Bundibugyo Ebola treatment starts in DRC, WHO says

A treatment trial for the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo enrolled its first patient on Thursday, marking a milestone in efforts to combat the epidemic, WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.



Tedros, however, cited an attack on an Ebola treatment centre in Ituri province in which two people died as a sign of ongoing difficulties in tackling the spread of the disease.



"Despite all this progress, we continue to face significant challenges, including mistrust and violence," the WHO director-general said.



There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for Ebola's Bundibugyo strain, which has caused more than 1,400 cases in DRC, including 438 deaths.



DRC has recorded an average of 38 new confirmed cases a day over the past two weeks, Tedros said.