GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a global health emergency, issuing an urgent alert as deaths and infections continue to rise in parts of Central and East Africa.
The WHO said the situation has raised serious international concern due to cross-border transmission, though it noted that the outbreak has not yet reached the full criteria of a global pandemic.
According to the latest figures, at least 246 suspected cases have been reported in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, with 80 deaths linked to the virus so far. Uganda has also reported a growing number of confirmed infections, raising fears of further regional spread.
Health experts said the current strain is associated with the Bundibugyo virus, a rare and severe form of Ebola for which no approved vaccine or specific treatment is currently available.
Ebola is a highly infectious disease with a fatal outcome in many cases. Symptoms typically appear within 2 to 21 days after infection and may include high fever, severe muscle pain, extreme fatigue, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, and in some cases internal or external bleeding.
The WHO has instructed health teams across Africa to remain on high alert and intensify emergency response measures to prevent further transmission.
The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has called for urgent international financial and medical support to contain the outbreak.
More read, Ebola outbreak in eastern DR Congo kills 80, Health Ministry says
Officials warned that without swift action, the cross-border spread of the virus could further escalate the public health crisis in the region.
