Ebola outbreak: World Health Organisation declares global health emergency

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a global health emergency following the spread of Ebola infections in Congo and Uganda. However, the WHO clarified that the outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain is not currently considered a pandemic. There are currently no approved medicines or fully effective vaccines available against this specific strain of the virus.

According to data released on Saturday, the WHO said that 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, and 246 suspected cases have been reported in the Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu regions of Ituri province in Congo.

In Kampala, the capital of Uganda, two people who had travelled from Congo tested positive for the virus. One of them has died. Another person returning from Ituri was also confirmed to have Ebola in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo. As infections continue to rise, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned that community transmission may already be taking place. Health workers have intensified screening measures and contact tracing efforts to control the spread of the disease.

The Ebola virus was first discovered in Congo in 1976. The current outbreak is the 17th recorded spread of the deadly virus in the country. Scientists believe the virus originally spread from bats. Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people and can cause internal bleeding and organ failure. Common symptoms include fever, muscle pain, headache, severe vomiting and bleeding. Ebola has an average fatality rate of around 50 percent, and nearly 15,000 people have died from the disease across African countries over the past 50 years.