The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo began in May, although transmission had not been detected for some time.

The situation has been declared a public health emergency by the WHO, which says there have been 1,460 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 150 suspected cases and 452 deaths, as of July 1. According to the WHO, 213 people have recovered.

There have also been 20 confirmed cases in Uganda, resulting in two deaths, and one confirmed case in France, as of July 1.

Ebola is caused by a virus that attacks the immune system and the body’s organs.

It typically infects animals, usually fruit bats, but outbreaks can sometimes begin among humans when people handle infected animals. It is transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood.

Congolese health authorities have said the outbreak is currently restricted to three eastern provinces: South Kivu, North Kivu and Ituri.

However, news agencies Reuters and AFP report that the body of a pregnant woman tested positive for Ebola in the neighboring province of Tshopo. The woman reportedly died in Ituri, before her body was transported by motorcycle to the main town of Tshopo, Kisangani, which has a population of approximately 1.5 million people.

Additionally, an individual suspected of having Ebola was reported to have fled an isolation unit in Ituri and later tested positive in the nearby province of Haut-Uele.

Authorities are said to have started contact tracing efforts in Tshopo and Haut-Uele. Earlier this week, public gatherings were banned in both provinces, along with neighboring Bas-Uele and the capital Kinshsasa, to prevent the spread of Ebola.