Aid group: More funds needed for Ebola safe burials in Congo

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) - An international aid organization says it only has enough funding to continue safe burials for Ebola victims in eastern Congo for two more weeks.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Thursday that unless it gets more funding it won't be able to continue providing support to crews burying Ebola victims.

Ebola is a highly contagious disease transmitted through human contact and funerals were a major source of virus transmission during the previous epidemic, in 2014-2016.

Each Ebola burial costs about $500 for, among other things, the protective gear for workers.

The Congo Ebola epidemic has escalated sharply over the past month. The health ministry says 20 percent of all cases since August have been reported in just the last three weeks.