The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.
The agency said the outbreak in DR Congo’s eastern Ituri province, which reported over 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths, does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency.
But it warned it could potentially be “a much larger outbreak” than what is currently being detected and reported, with significant risk of local and regional spread.
The current strain of Ebola is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, the health agency said, for which there are no approved drugs or vaccines. Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted via bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.
Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat, and are followed by vomiting, diarrhea, a rash and bleeding.
WHO’s emergency declaration is meant to spur donor agencies and countries into action. It also shows that the event is serious, there is a risk of international spread and it requires a coordinated international response.
Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has confirmed the Ebola outbreak in RDC and Uganda. Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC has warned that in the absence of vaccines and effective medicines people should follow public health measures, including the guidance about handling the funerals of those who have died from the disease.
