WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DR Congo an international emergency
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern.
The agency said the outbreak in DR Congo’s eastern Ituri province, which has seen around 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths reported, 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, BBC reports.
Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat, and are followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, a rash and bleeding.
The WHO said there were now eight laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus, with other suspected cases and deaths across three health zones including Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara.
One case of the virus has been confirmed in the capital Kinshasa, believed to be in a patient returning from Ituri.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread beyond its borders, with two confirmed cases reported in neighboring Uganda, including a 59-year-old Congolese man who died after testing positive for the virus.
A separate case was also confirmed in the eastern Congolese city of Goma, an area currently under the control of M23 rebels, according to reports from the AFP news agency.
Health authorities warned that exposure risks extend beyond Africa, with reports that at least six Americans in DR Congo may have been exposed, while one individual has shown symptoms but no confirmed infections have been recorded.
