Experts warn of wider spread as Ebola outbreak reaches plateau

NEW YORK (AP) — The Ebola outbreak in Congo passed a grim milestone this week — 10,000 confirmed cases — and spurred questions about whether health authorities are losing their ability to contain it.Nearly half the infected people in this outbreak have died, and some experts say there are reasons to worry this could grow into the worst Ebola outbreak in history. Others don't think it will reach that level. Researchers are currently working on updated projections.Current circumstances suggest it's unlikely to spark significant problems in most other countries, some researchers said. But about 30 confirmed cases have already popped up in other nations. And the risk that more will appear outside Congo will grow if the outbreak isn't tamed, said Justin Lessler, a University of North Carolina researcher who studies the dynamics of infectious disease outbreaks.Experts also are hopeful that a vaccine will become available next year that could help control it.At a virtual summit of African hea