WHO has declared the outbreak of Ebola in DR Congo, Uganda a global emergency | News about Ebola

DR Congo accounts for all but two of the more than 300 suspected cases, all of which have been reported in neighboring Uganda.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda “a global public health emergency” after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths.

In an online statement on Sunday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak does not meet the requirements of an emergency but neighboring countries are at risk of further spread.

Health officials have confirmed that the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus (BVD), a rare form of Ebola that has no approved treatment or vaccine. Although more than 20 Ebola outbreaks have occurred in the DRC and Uganda, this is the third time BVD has been reported.

The WHO said the outbreak could be very large, due to the large number of initial samples and the number of suspected cases.

The DRC is responsible for all but two of the cases, which were reported in neighboring Uganda, the WHO said.

Officials reported the spread of the virus in the eastern DRC region of Ituri, near Uganda and South Sudan, on Friday. On Saturday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDCP) reported that 336 people are suspected and 87 have died.

Uganda on Saturday confirmed one case it said was from the DRC, saying the patient died at a hospital in its capital, Kampala. The WHO has said that the dead in Kampala have said that they have been deliberately attacked and that all the dead are from the DRC.

The DRC-Uganda outbreak poses a public health threat to neighboring countries, the United Nations health agency said, advising countries to activate their emergency response measures and monitor borders and check internal highways.

The WHO recommended that confirmed cases be isolated, allowing international travel and no international travel until 21 days after diagnosis.

It urged countries not to close their borders or restrict movement and trade, as this would allow people and goods to cross borders unchecked.

The deadly and highly contagious virus, which causes fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea, is spread through direct contact with the body fluids of infected people, contaminated items or those who have died from the disease, according to the ACDCP.