HARARE, November 13. /TASS/. Doctors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are observing a growth in the number of Ebola cases in the country, the Okapi radio station reported citing healthcare officials.

According to their figures, roughly 20 new infections per week have been recorded over the past three weeks in the Mambasa area of DR Congo. Efforts to contain the outbreak are complicated by a shortage of beds at treatment centers, combined with logistical problems.

The outbreak in Mambasa was triggered by improper handling of an Ebola patient’s body by medical staff. The patient died in the town of Mandima roughly three weeks ago.

In all, a total of 127 Ebola cases have been recorded in Mambasa since the start of the outbreak, 57 of them fatal.

The current Ebola outbreak began in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda on May 15 to become the second deadliest one in the entire history of observation in Africa, with Ebola cases being registered in eight Congolese provinces. The tally of laboratory confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo has reached 11,042, with 5,387 fatalities.

Ugandan authorities announced on July 28 that the Ebola outbreak in the country had ended. The WHO confirmed this on August 25. However, the first Ebola case was confirmed in Kenya on October 6, and in Nigeria - on October 20.

This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a vaccine against which is being still developed.