WHO Declares Ebola Emergency in Congo and Uganda

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, warning that it poses a risk to neighboring countries.

The WHO said the epidemic, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria for a pandemic but noted that countries sharing a land border with the DRC face a high risk of further spread.

The DRC's health ministry said on Friday that 80 people had died in a new outbreak in the country's eastern province. The WHO warned that the outbreak could be considerably more widespread, given the high positivity rate of initial samples and the growing number of suspected cases.

The epidemic is considered extraordinary because no approved drugs or vaccines exist for the Bundibugyo virus, unlike for Ebola Zaire strains, the organization added.

The WHO has advised countries to activate their national disaster and emergency management mechanisms and to conduct cross-border screening as well as screening on major national routes.

The virus, which is often fatal, causes fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea. It spreads through direct contact with the body fluids of infected persons, contaminated materials or those who have died from the disease.

(reuters)