The World Health Organization (WHO) says the Ebola outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now "a more complex outbreak landscape", after a case was confirmed in Nigeria. South Africa has reported no cases.

WHO's regional director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, told an online briefing on 22 October that the outbreak spans East and West Africa. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi earlier named 36 hospitals to receive suspected patients.

Where the outbreak stands

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. It was announced in the DRC in mid-May and, according to health authorities cited in reports, has killed more than 4,000 of more than 9,000 confirmed cases, the deadliest in that country's history.

Uganda has had 20 confirmed cases, including 15 imported from the DRC, and two deaths, and was declared Ebola-free in August, according to reporting on the WHO briefing. Kenya confirmed its first case earlier in October and has reported eight more since; Health Ministry director-general Patrick Amoth said all 135 contacts of the first case were traced. Nigeria reported its first case on Tuesday 20 October, and officials are tracing 44 contacts.

The cause of the Nigerian infection is disputed. Uganda's government spokesman Alan Kasujja called a link to Uganda "preposterous". WHO Nigeria representative Pavel Ursu said the information provided included no travel outside Uganda, while WHO's Patrick Otim said the source remains unknown. Africa CDC's Wessam Mankoula said the first Nigerian and Kenyan cases both left Entebbe on 3 October and that a possible encounter between them is under investigation.

What South Africa has said

No Ebola case had been reported in South Africa as of 24 October. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi placed the health system on high alert. Reports dated July say 36 hospitals, 24 public and 12 private, were designated to receive suspected patients so they stay out of ordinary wards, and that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) was preparing to test suspected cases.

We found no October update on those arrangements, no published isolation bed counts and no NICD turnaround times.