The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has suspended activities in the epicentre of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It comes after an Ebola treatment centre was attacked in the province of North-Kivu on February 27th.

The charity said unidentified assailants set some of the compound's facilities, as well as vehicles, on fire.

The blazes were contained, but the teams were told to immediately cease patient care.

At the time of the attack, there were 57 patients admitted in the centre - of which 15 were confirmed to have Ebola.

The incident in Butembo city came only days after another Ebola treatment facility, also supported by MSF teams in the neighbouring district of Katwa, was attacked.

MSF has evacuated staff from the area for their safety, pending a risk analysis.

MSF emergency desk manager Hugues Robert said: "We are extremely saddened by these attacks on our medical facilities.

"Not only did they endanger the lives of our staff members, but they also endangered the most vulnerable people at the heart of our response: the patients.

"In light of these two violent incidents, we have no choice but to suspend our activities until further notice.

"As medical responders, it is very painful to have to leave behind patients, their families and other members of the community at such a critical time in the Ebola response."

No staff or patients were harmed, but the caretaker of one patient died during the attack in Katwa, allegedly when he tried to flee.

MSF said both attacks were traumatic for patients, their relatives and staff who were inside the centres at the time.

Almost seven months after the beginning of the current Ebola outbreak in the provinces of North-Kivu and Ituri, there have been 879 confirmed cases of Ebola and 553 people have died.

In addition to the treatment centres, MSF runs two Ebola isolation facilities in Ituri province, in the towns of Bwanasura and Bunia.