Preparations against Ebola underway in eastern Congo

The second patient to be diagnosed with Ebola in eastern Congo's main city of Goma has died after he sought treatment too late and was already bleeding. The man died overnight in Goma's Ebola treatment centre after spending a number of days sick at home, an official who leads Democratic Republic of Congo's response to the epidemic said.

The first Ebola case in Goma was confirmed in mid-July, since when the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak an international health emergency. Confirmation of the case on July 30 increased fears the virus could take root in the densely populated city of 2 million, which is more than 350 kilometers south of where the outbreak was first detected. This would accelerate the spread of disease which has killed over 1,800 people over the past year and become the second-worst outbreak on record.