*Update*: Over 1,100 suspected cases – WHO reports first recoveries, Europe on alert

The numbers are rising faster than expected. Al Jazeera reports that Africa CDC has now registered over 1,100 suspected cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda – a significant jump compared to figures from previous days. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, against which neither approved vaccines nor proven treatments exist.

Amidst these grim numbers, the WHO sends a cautiously positive signal: WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported five confirmed recoveries in the evening. At the same time, he opened a new treatment centre in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province. According to The Straits Times, one of the recovered persons explicitly called on the population and health personnel not to ignore early symptoms such as vomiting and headaches – an appeal that carries particular weight given the high number of unreported cases.

Treatment options and international concern

The question of treatment options remains pressing. The Conversation analyses which vaccines and treatments against the Bundibugyo strain are currently in the pipeline – and how far research has actually progressed. The conclusion: the available tools were primarily developed for the more common Zaire strain; their effectiveness against Bundibugyo has so far been insufficiently demonstrated.

International nervousness continues to grow. In Cagliari, a man who recently returned from Congo is hospitalised with Ebola-typical symptoms. ANSA reports that the street in front of his house has been sealed off, samples are being sent to the Spallanzani Institute in Rome for analysis. Whether it is a genuine case remains unclear.

Craig Spencer, who himself contracted Ebola in Guinea in 2014 while treating patients, provides a historical perspective on the dynamics of such outbreaks. In a current interview, he explains why the present outbreak is particularly difficult to contain – and warns of the structural weaknesses of the health system in the region. Spiegel reports on his assessments.

The combination of rising case numbers, lack of therapeutics, and new suspected cases on three continents makes clear: the outbreak is no longer a regional problem.