The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a significant increase in Ebola infections across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, with confirmed cases rising to 471 and deaths reaching 84.

The DRC accounts for 452 cases and 82 deaths, while Uganda has recorded 19 cases and two fatalities. The latest figures represent an increase of 100 cases and 20 deaths within 24 hours.

The outbreak, declared an international public health emergency three weeks ago, has raised global concern as health experts warn it could become one of the largest Ebola epidemics in history.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cautioned that, without aggressive containment measures, the outbreak could approach the scale of the devastating 2014 West Africa Ebola crisis, which infected more than 28,000 people and claimed over 11,000 lives.

Health authorities are intensifying surveillance, treatment, and containment efforts as healthcare workers continue battling the virus in affected communities.