France, May 19 -- According to Congo's health minister, Samuel-Roger Kamba, the outbreak, centred in the country's northeast, has spread beyond its original hotspot and crossed international borders, prompting the WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern.

"We have recorded roughly 131 deaths in total and around 513 suspected cases," Kamba told Congolese national television overnight.

The figures mark a sharp increase on the previous reported toll of 91 deaths from 350 suspected cases.

Kamba stressed that the numbers remained provisional, cautioning that laboratory testing was still limited and that further investigations were needed to confirm whether all the deaths were linked to Ebola.

The outbreak is being ...