WHO Declared Ebola Outbreak in Congo and Uganda

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced this decision after reports of more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths.

In a social media post, WHO clarified that this outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency like COVID-19 and advised against closing international borders.

Health officials stated that the outbreak is linked to the rare “Bundibugyo strain” of the Ebola virus, for which no approved vaccine or treatment is currently available.

Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe and often fatal illness.

Most cases have been reported in Democratic Republic of the Congo, while two cases have been confirmed in neighbouring Uganda. Authorities first detected the outbreak in eastern Ituri Province of Congo, near the borders of Uganda and South Sudan.

Cause of the Outbreak in Congo and Uganda

Health officials have confirmed that the current outbreak has been caused by “Bundibugyo Virus Disease” (BVD). It is a rare form of Ebola disease for which no approved treatment or vaccine is yet available.

Although the DRC and Uganda have experienced more than 20 Ebola outbreaks, this is only the third time that BVD has been reported.

WHO stated that considering the high positivity rate of early samples and the increasing number of suspected cases being reported, the outbreak could be much larger.

WHO reported that, except for two cases, all other cases are from the DRC; these two cases were reported in neighbouring Uganda.

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

EVD, previously known as Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, is a deadly disease whose sporadic outbreaks mainly occur on the African continent.

The Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It mainly affects humans and non-human primates (such as monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).

The natural host of the Ebola virus is the fruit bat. Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the primary natural reservoirs of this virus.

Group of Viruses Under the Ebolavirus Genus

It spreads rapidly among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids (blood, saliva, stool, vomit) of an infected person or through contaminated objects.

It is caused by infection with a group of viruses belonging to the Ebolavirus genus:

Ebola virus (species Zaire ebolavirus)

Sudan virus (species Sudan ebolavirus)

Taï Forest virus (species Taï Forest ebolavirus, formerly Côte d’Ivoire ebolavirus)

Bundibugyo virus (species Bundibugyo ebolavirus)

Reston virus (species Reston ebolavirus)

Bombali virus (species Bombali ebolavirus)