The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the WHO said the outbreak does not yet meet the threshold for a pandemic emergency under the International Health Regulations.
The agency said the declaration followed consultations with authorities in DR Congo and Uganda over the escalating spread of the virus and the risk of cross-border transmission.
According to the WHO, as of Saturday, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and 80 suspected deaths had been recorded in Ituri Province of DRC.
It added that two confirmed cases, including one death, were reported in Kampala between May 15 and 16 among travellers arriving from DRC, while another case was confirmed in Kinshasa involving a person returning from Ituri Province.
The organisation said unusual clusters of community deaths with symptoms consistent with Bundibugyo virus disease had been reported across several health zones in Ituri, with suspected infections also spreading into North Kivu.
WHO also noted that at least four healthcare workers had died in circumstances suggestive of viral haemorrhagic fever, raising concerns over hospital-based transmission and weak infection prevention measures.
It said uncertainties remain over the true number of infections and the geographical spread of the outbreak. However, the high positivity rate among initial samples and increasing suspected cases suggest the outbreak could be much larger than currently detected.
The agency warned that insecurity, humanitarian challenges, population movement, urban transmission risks and informal healthcare networks could worsen the spread of the disease.
WHO further noted that unlike the Ebola Zaire strain, there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics specifically targeting the Bundibugyo virus.
The Director-General of WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, is expected to convene an emergency committee to advise on containment measures.
The declaration is the highest alert level under WHO regulations and is used for extraordinary events that pose cross-border public health risks requiring coordinated international action.
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