Kinshasa: The Democratic Republic of Congo's new ebola outbreak has entered a "new phase", the country's health minister has announced.

Oly Ilunga Kalenga said a case of the virus was detected in Mbandaka, a city with a population of about 1 million people.

The World Health Organisation, which is deploying vaccines in the country, had expressed concern about the disease reaching the north-western city, which would make the outbreak, already believed to have killed 23 people, far harder to tackle.

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WHO said it was sending 8000 vaccine doses to the north-west, with more available if needs.