The Democratic Republic of the Congo has cancelled its planned pre-World Cup training camp in Kinshasa because of the worsening Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country.

Preparations for the tournament will instead take place in Belgium as authorities respond to an outbreak that has reportedly killed more than 130 people.

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern”, although it has stopped short of classifying it as a pandemic.

Jerry Kalemo, spokesperson for the national football team, said planned warm-up matches in Europe would still go ahead as the team prepares for its first FIFA World Cup appearance since 1974.

DR Congo are scheduled to face Denmark in Belgium on 3 June and Chile in Spain on 9 June before opening their World Cup campaign against Portugal in Houston on 17 June.

Team officials said the decision to cancel the Kinshasa camp was linked to travel restrictions introduced by the United States in response to the Ebola outbreak.

Under the restrictions, non-Americans who have recently visited DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days are barred from entering the US.

Because all DR Congo players and head coach Sébastien Desabre are based outside the country, they are not expected to be affected by the rules now that the training camp has been relocated.

Some support staff based in DR Congo reportedly left the country on Wednesday before the 21-day travel restriction window came into effect.

The planned Kinshasa camp had been expected to attract supporters and senior officials, including President Felix Tshisekedi.

Although Kinshasa lies around 1,800km from Ituri province — the centre of the outbreak — no Ebola cases have yet been reported in the capital.

The WHO said on Wednesday that 139 people were believed to have died from around 600 suspected cases, while Congolese health minister Samuel Roger Kamba later stated on national broadcaster RTNC TV that authorities had recorded 159 deaths.

Referee Michael Salisbury has not been selected for any match in the final round of Premier League fixtures following controversy over a key decision during Manchester United F.C.’s victory over Nottingham Forest F.C. last weekend.

Salisbury allowed Matheus Cunha’s goal for United to stand despite the ball appearing to strike the hand of Bryan Mbeumo during the build-up.

After being advised to review the incident by the video assistant referee (VAR), Salisbury chose not to overturn the goal. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited later admitted the goal should have been disallowed.

Referees in English football generally apply a more lenient interpretation of handball laws compared with some other countries, although decisions must still remain within the official laws of the game.

Referees’ chief Howard Webb reportedly told Forest there were arguments supporting the decision not to award handball, but acknowledged that “football’s expectation” would have been for the goal to be ruled out.

The incident marked only the 17th occasion in seven Premier League seasons — and the fourth time this campaign — that a referee has rejected the recommendation of the VAR after reviewing footage at the pitchside monitor.

Salisbury, who has officiated 13 Premier League matches this season, has not been assigned to any of Sunday’s final-day fixtures, all of which kick off simultaneously.

Meanwhile, James Bell has still been appointed as VAR for Fulham F.C.’s match against Newcastle United F.C. despite criticism surrounding another recent VAR decision.

Bell faced scrutiny after not recommending a review of a challenge by Kai Havertz on Lesley Ugochukwu during Arsenal F.C.’s game against Burnley F.C. on Monday.

The World Health Organization has warned that Ebola infections and deaths linked to the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are expected to rise further as health officials continue tracing the spread of the virus.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that there are now 600 suspected Ebola cases and 139 suspected deaths connected to the outbreak.

So far, 51 cases have been confirmed in DR Congo, where the outbreak began, while neighbouring Uganda has recorded two confirmed cases in its capital, Kampala. One of the infected travellers from DR Congo has died.

Speaking in Geneva, Ghebreyesus said the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola likely began spreading “a couple of months ago” before being detected.

Although the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, the agency stressed that the situation does not currently meet the threshold for a pandemic.

“WHO assesses the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels and low at the global level,” Ghebreyesus said after the organisation’s emergency committee reviewed the situation.

Health officials say the epicentre of the outbreak remains eastern DR Congo, particularly Ituri province, where confirmed cases have been reported in Mongwalu, Bunia, Rwampara and Nyakunde. Cases have also emerged in North Kivu province, including the cities of Goma and Butembo.

According to WHO officials, healthcare workers are among those who have died, increasing concerns over the outbreak’s severity and the risk of wider transmission.

Investigators are still trying to determine how long the virus circulated before being identified. The first known patient was reportedly a nurse in Bunia who developed symptoms and died on 24 April. Her body was later taken to Mongwalu, one of two gold-mining towns heavily affected by the outbreak.

The current outbreak marks DR Congo’s 17th Ebola outbreak, but officials say the Bundibugyo species presents unique challenges because it has not been seen for more than a decade.

Bundibugyo has previously caused only two known outbreaks and historically killed around one-third of infected patients.

There are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the Bundibugyo strain, although experimental vaccines are under development. Health experts say vaccines designed for the more common Zaire strain of Ebola may offer limited protection, but this has not yet been confirmed.