The World Health Organization announced Sunday that it has classified an Ebola outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern.
According to the WHO, this outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the virus and while it doesn’t qualify as a pandemic emergency, nations that share borders with the DRC face elevated risk for additional spread.
Here’s what health officials know about this current Ebola outbreak and its progression:
UNDERSTANDING EBOLA
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola disease represents a serious and frequently deadly virus that triggers fever, body aches, vomiting and diarrhea. The disease transmits through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected individuals, contaminated objects, or those who have died from the illness.
This marks the Democratic Republic of Congo’s 17th outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976.
ABOUT THE BUNDIBUGYO STRAIN
Bundibugyo represents one strain of the virus. The WHO reports that this particular strain has caused two previous outbreaks.
The WHO describes this outbreak as “extraordinary” because no approved treatments or vaccines exist specifically for the Bundibugyo virus, which differs from Ebola-Zaire strains.
“Unfortunately, Bundibugyo has fewer proven countermeasures than Zaire ebolavirus, where vaccines have been highly effective in controlling outbreaks,” stated Amanda Rojek, Associate Professor of Health Emergencies at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford.
AFFECTED NATIONS
Both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have confirmed cases through their governments, with the DRC experiencing the most severe impact from the outbreak.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention announced Sunday that it is working with South Sudan to monitor border activity and prevent additional international transmission.
INFECTION NUMBERS
The WHO reported Sunday that eight laboratory-confirmed cases have been documented, along with 80 suspected deaths and 246 suspected infections.
M23 rebels controlling the eastern DRC town of Goma confirmed an additional case in their Sunday statement.
Ugandan authorities also verified a second case on Sunday.
However, the WHO cautioned that “there are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time.”
