"The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a "public health emergency of international concern." The WHO said the outbreak does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency but warned countries sharing land borders with DRC are at high risk for further spread."
"The flare-up, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, has killed dozens in the DRC, the UN health agency said in a statement. There were 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases as of Saturday in the DRC's Ituri province. "The Bundibugyo strain has no vaccine, no specific treatment," DRC's Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying."
""This strain has a very high lethality rate, which can reach 50%." Uganda's capital, Kampala, also recorded two laboratory-confirmed cases, including one death, on Friday and Saturday, of people traveling from the DRC, the WHO said. Ebola, which is believed to have originated in bats, can cause severe bleeding and organ failure. The virus spreads from person to person through bodily fluids or exposure to the blood of an infected person."
"The WHO said the outbreak could be much larger than what is currently being detected and reported. It pointed to the high positivity rate of the initial samples and the increasing number of suspected cases being reported. Medical aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) described the rapid spread of the outbreak as "extremely concerning." The NGO said it was preparing a "large-scale response" to deal with the crisis."
WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus and does not meet criteria for a pandemic emergency. The WHO warned that countries sharing land borders with the DRC face high risk of further spread. In the DRC’s Ituri province, there were dozens of deaths, 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, and 246 suspected cases as of Saturday. The Bundibugyo strain has no vaccine and no specific treatment, with lethality reaching about 50%. Uganda recorded two laboratory-confirmed cases, including one death, among people traveling from the DRC. WHO warned the outbreak could be larger than currently detected, citing high positivity in initial samples and rising suspected cases. Doctors Without Borders described the rapid spread as extremely concerning and prepared a large-scale response.
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