DR Congo — The World Health Organization or WHO has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern or PHEIC in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda following the spread of the Ebola virus.
According to the WHO, as of May 16, around 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths have already been recorded in Ituri province in Congo.
The organization said the current ‘extraordinary’ event is being caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, a rare type of Ebola virus.
The Bundibugyo virus is one of the three major Ebola species, alongside the Zaire and Sudan strains.
As of now, there are still no approved vaccines or therapeutics against it.
The declaration of a PHEIC also came after eight laboratory-confirmed cases were reported across three health zones in Ituri province.
Meanwhile, the WHO said the risk of further spread has increased due to the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo.
The agency also cited the high movement of populations and the large number of informal healthcare facilities in the region.
The World Health Organization also confirmed that the virus has spread to neighboring Uganda after two laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded there.
Because of this, the international health body urged Congo and Uganda to establish emergency operation centers and strengthen international coordination to speed up monitoring, contact tracing, and infection prevention measures.
The WHO clarified, however, that the outbreak does not yet qualify as a pandemic emergency similar to COVID-19.
The Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 and is transmitted from infected wild animals, particularly fruit bats.
Among the early symptoms of the virus are fever, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat.
Experts also said the disease carries an estimated fatality rate of around 50%.