WHO declares Ebola emergency in DRC, Uganda

The World Health Organisation has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. As of Saturday, 88 deaths and 336 suspected cases had been reported, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Eight cases have been laboratory-confirmed. One death has been reported in Uganda, involving a person who travelled from DRC.

The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or specific treatment, DRC Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said. He added that the strain has a very high lethality rate, which can reach 50%.

Vaccines are only available for the Zaire strain, which has a fatality rate of 60 – 90%.

Medical aid group – Doctors Without Borders said it was preparing a large-scale response, calling the rapid spread of the outbreak extremely concerning.

The WHO advised countries to activate national disaster mechanisms and conduct cross-border screening. It urged countries not to close borders, warning that this could lead to unmonitored informal crossings.

Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or those who have died from the disease.

SOURCE: AFP