Concern and caution in DRC as Ebola risk at highest level

As the World Health Organization raises the risk of Ebola to the highest level for the DR Congo, authorities in the country and working to inform the public about how to protect themselves from the deadly virus.

The outbreak was first detected in Ituri province, an area already facing armed conflict and humanitarian crises.

In the provincial capital Bunia, residents are doing what they can to stay safe.

"I grew up here in Bunia," says taxi driver Gratien Scojo. "I’ve never seen a person with Ebola recover, and even now people are dying. That’s why I urge everyone to protect themselves, especially here in our city of Bunia.”

Avoiding direct or close contact with infected people is key to reducing the risk of transmission and containing the outbreak.

"Personally, I always advise my passengers to do everything they can to make sure there are at most five of them on a bus, instead of being crammed in, so as to avoid being infected with this disease," says bus driver Mumbere Elisha.

To date, there have been 82 confirmed cases and seven confirmed deaths in the DRC, alongside almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, according to the WHO.

Uganda, which borders the DRC to the east has confirmed five cases of Ebola. On Saturday the African Union’s health agency warned that ten nations are at risk of being affected by the Ebola virus, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan.