WHO Warns Ebola Cases Will Continue to Rise

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo is likely to continue to rise. The WHO has recorded 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths, with 51 confirmed cases in Congo and two in neighbouring Uganda.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Bundibugyo epidemic had probably started months ago. The organization declared an international health emergency over the weekend but does not believe the outbreak constitutes a pandemic.

Ituri and North Kivu provinces in the east of the country are the worst affected. Health workers are among the victims. The first known case involved a nurse who died at the end of April.

The WHO has warned that there is no approved vaccine or targeted treatment against the Bundibugyo virus. The situation is complicated by the long-running conflict in eastern Congo and the similarity of early symptoms to those of malaria or typhoid fever.

(bbc, bak)