Pakistan, Sept. 4 -- Ebola health officials in Congo are using anonymous mobile phone data to track population movements. They want to predict where the virus could spread next. The World Health Organisation and researchers hope this method will improve outbreak response. It can also help officials focus their limited resources.

Congo is facing its fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, according to the WHO. Cases have now appeared in six provinces. More than 6,250 people have been infected since May 15. The outbreak has also killed 3,039 people, according to government data.

Researchers say population movement can help explain how Ebola reaches new communities. Traditional methods often focus on areas near known outbreak hotspots. H...