The World Health Organisation says a worrying number of the newest Ebola cases amid Congo's ongoing outbreak are in patients not usually known to catch the disease: babies.
In an update published this week, the UN health agency reported 36 new confirmed cases of Ebola, including seven in newborn babies and infants younger than 2 years old. Six cases were reported in children aged between 2 and 17 and one case was in a pregnant woman.
While Ebola typically infects adults, as they are most likely to be exposed to the lethal virus, children have been known in some instances to catch the disease when they act as caregivers.
Few cases of Ebola in babies have been reported, but experts suspect transmission might happen via breast milk or close contact with infected parents. Ebola is typically spread by infected bodily fluids.
WHO noted that health centers have been identified as a source of Ebola transmission, with injections of medications "a notable cause." WHO called Congo's current epidemic "complex and challenging."
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content