WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Congo, Uganda an emergency of international concern
Officials said 336 suspected cases and 88 deaths have been reported, with the outbreak spreading to Uganda and other provinces.
- On Sunday, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a "public health emergency of international concern," posing risks to neighboring countries.
- Officials first identified the Bundibugyo strain in the DRC's Ituri province near Uganda and South Sudan on Friday. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported 336 suspected cases and 87 deaths by Saturday.
- Health officials described the outbreak as "extraordinary" because there are no approved Bundibugyo virus-specific therapeutics or vaccines. This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since 1976.
- Two laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in Kampala, Uganda, on Friday and Saturday, involving patients who traveled from the DRC. The cases had no apparent links to each other, the WHO said.
- The WHO advised against closing international borders, recommending immediate isolation of confirmed cases and no international travel until 21 days after exposure. Countries should also implement cross-border screening and national disaster management mechanisms.
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WHO holding emergency meeting as concern grows over deadly Ebola outbreak
An American doctor tested positive for Ebola on Sunday while working in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization will hold an emergency meeting as the outbreak grows and more than 130 people have died. Holly Williams reports.
The virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to gain ground, causing great concern from the health agencies, which on Tuesday, 19 May, made arrangements to try to stem the spread.
The new Ebola outbreak: Expert explains rare virus strain spreading in Africa
Growing global alarm surrounds the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, which has now been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. The current outbreak is centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring Uganda, where health officials have reported hundreds of suspected cases and dozens of deaths linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
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Punch NewspapersWHO declares Ebola outbreak in DRC, Uganda global health emergency
The agency warned that the outbreak poses a high regional risk, with infections already detected in Uganda and a linked case reaching Kinshasa, the densely populated capital of the DRC.
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