KABUL: The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern.”
In a statement issued Sunday, the WHO warned that the outbreak poses a growing risk of spreading to neighboring countries.
According to the organization, the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain does not yet warrant classification as a global pandemic, but countries sharing land borders with Congo and Uganda face a high risk of transmission.
The WHO said 80 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak and eight confirmed Ebola-related fatalities have so far been recorded.
An additional 246 suspected cases have also been reported in Ituri province in eastern Congo.
The WHO described the outbreak as “unusual,” noting that there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.