Ebola spread in DR Congo 'alarming', charity warns, as WHO chief visits worst-hit area

On arrival at the city's airport, passengers are directed to handwashing stations where they are required to clean their hands with soap and water.Public health advisories are displayed in parts of the airport, while information is also being broadcast on radio and television. These messages are being delivered in local languages as well as in French, the DR Congo's official language.One of the WHO head's first stops was the National Institute for Biomedical Research laboratory in Bunia, where samples from suspected Ebola patients are tested.Local health officials say the facility is now able to return results within 24 hours, helping doctors quickly identify infections and begin treatment.Until recently, samples had to be transported more than 1,500km (932 miles) to the DR Congo's capital Kinshasa, causing delays that health workers feared could cost lives and allow the virus to spread further.The current outbreak, a rare strain of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, has no proven vaccine and kills about a third of those infected.Ebola viruses normally infect animals, typically fruit bats, but outbreaks among humans can sometimes start when people eat or handle infected animals.