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Conga has confirmed its first Ebola death in the eastern city of Butembo in the first urban outbreak of the virus. The current outbreak has already killed 87 people and it is close to becoming the eighth largest Ebola outbreak in history. World Health Organisation’s (WHO) emergency response chief, Peter Salama, said the urban outbreak is worrying. He added: “When you have an Ebola case confirmed in a city with one million people, no one should be sleeping well tonight around the world.”

Mr Salama said the patient travelled from the current outbreak hotspot in Beni, 35 miles southwest to Butembo after ignoring medical advice. WHO staff are on site to quickly trace and vaccinate those who have come into contact with the patient. But Mr Salama said the potential for further infection could “change the trajectory of the outbreak”. Two more suspected cases are in the city, the DRC’s Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday.

Conga has confirmed its first Ebola death in the eastern city of Butembo

The current outbreak has already killed 87 people

Since August 28, 11 more cases of the highly contagious illness have been reported in the Central African country, WHO confirmed. In an attempt to contain the virus, aid workers have educated nearly 2.5 million Africans on how to reduce the risk of it spreading. But officials admitted they are struggling to locate the area where the disease is being transmitted because the source of the outbreak lies near a dangerous conflict zone.

Peter Salama said the urban outbreak is worrying