Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo have crossed 8,000, and the World Health Organization says the outbreak is still expanding. Kinshasa province is among the areas under close watch.

Health agencies are calling for urgent humanitarian access to affected zones, according to the Africa Newsroom (UN OCHA) and regional health reports. Field teams face major challenges reaching remote communities with treatment and vaccines.

The Ebola virus spreads through contact with the body fluids of infected people or animals. Symptoms include fever, body aches, vomiting and internal bleeding. Early medical care raises survival chances sharply.

The outbreak has strained Congo’s health system, which has battled repeated Ebola waves over the years. Aid groups say safe burials, contact tracing and ring vaccination remain the key tools to break transmission chains.

Cross-border surveillance is also rising as neighbours monitor movement at frontiers. The WHO is tracking the situation daily. Health experts say the next few weeks will decide whether the outbreak stays contained or grows into a wider regional emergency.