Geneva: The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the third largest on record and is spreading faster than any previous one during the first month of exposure, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned. Addressing reporters in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the two-month-old outbreak has continued to expand despite major efforts by the Government, WHO, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and other partners. According to Emirates News Agency, Tedros reported that 2,273 cases have been recorded, with 796 fatalities. He highlighted that the 2018-2019 Ebola outbreak in DRC required over ten months to reach 2,000 confirmed cases, indicating a much slower spread compared to the current situation. Tedros expressed significant concern over the intense transmission occurring in Ituri province, located in DRC's eastern region. The majority of new infections, over 80%, are being identified outside known contact lists, signifying ongoing undetected transmission chains. Furthermore, approximately two-thirds of the deaths are happening in communities where individuals never receive treatment in health facilities. Despite efforts and progress made, Tedros underscored that the outbreak's pace continues to outstrip the response capabilities currently in place.