KABUL (Pajhwok): The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a public health emergency of international concern, media reports said on Monday.
According to a BBC report, the outbreak in DR Congo’s eastern Ituri province has so far resulted in around 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths. However, the WHO said the situation does not yet meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency.
The agency warned that the outbreak could become “much larger” than currently detected and reported, posing a significant risk of local and regional spread.
The WHO said the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash and bleeding.
According to the WHO, there are now eight laboratory-confirmed cases, along with several suspected infections and deaths across three health zones, including Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara.
One confirmed case has also been reported in the capital, Kinshasa, involving a patient who had returned from Ituri.
The WHO added that the virus has spread beyond DR Congo, with two confirmed cases reported in neighbouring Uganda. Ugandan authorities said a 59-year-old man who died on Thursday had tested positive for the virus.
sa
