WHO says Ebola not a "pandemic emergency," and U.S. criticism over response may be down to "misunderstanding"

The World Health Organization assessed the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as high risk at national and regional levels and low risk globally. Investigations into the outbreak’s origins were ongoing, and experts estimated it likely began a couple of months earlier due to the outbreak’s scale. The emergency committee determined the situation did not meet the pandemic emergency threshold. Fifty-one confirmed cases were reported in eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, with additional confirmed cases in Uganda in Kampala, including one death. A U.S. national working in the DRC tested positive and was transferred to Germany for treatment. WHO reported nearly 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, expecting continued increases because the virus circulated before detection.

"There are several factors that warrant serious concern about the potential for further spread and further deaths. Beyond the confirmed cases, there are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths. We expect those numbers to keep increasing, given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected."

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