Ebola outbreak declared global health emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a “public health emergency of international concern.”

This decision was made due to the rising number of cases and deaths linked to the outbreak, with 395 suspected cases and 106 associated deaths reported so far.

The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo virus, one of several viruses known as Orthoebolaviruses that can cause Ebola disease.

According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that is spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.

Symptoms of Ebola often include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, and a sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Internal and external bleeding can occur later as the disease progresses, and the fatality rate involving the Bundibugyo strain is estimated to be between 25% and 40%.

The US has invoked a public health law to limit entry into the country from the affected region, after a US national tested positive for the strain in the DRC.

Dr. Peter Safford, a Christian missionary physician, is one of the individuals who has tested positive for the virus, according to the international charity Serge.

US officials are working to move seven people from the Central African country to Germany, as part of efforts to contain the outbreak.

In Uganda, two laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported, including one death, with the patients having traveled from the DRC.

The WHO has set out several reasons explaining why the outbreak has been classified as a public health emergency of international concern, including the growing number of deaths and cases.

Years of war, mass displacement, and aid cuts have deepened a humanitarian crisis in the DRC, according to Dr. Manenji Mangudu, the country director for the international NGO Oxfam.

The US CDC has triggered Title 42, a public health law that restricts entry into the US during outbreaks of communicable diseases, for at least 30 days.

They have announced measures to protect the health and safety of the American public, including enhancing screenings for those arriving from affected regions.

International coordination is being ramped up to prevent the epidemic’s spread, with WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praising the DRC and Uganda for their “frankness” in determining the risk posed to other nations.

The European Union has personal protective equipment stockpiles ready to be deployed and is supporting Africa CDC by providing detection kits.

Regional responses will also be coordinated within Africa, with the Africa CDC declaring the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS).

More information on Ebola can be found on the World Health Organization website.

The situation is being closely monitored by health officials, who are working to contain the outbreak and prevent further cases.