The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern due to the Ebola outbreak caused by a rare virus in Congo and Uganda. In total, there are more than 300 suspected cases and at least 88 deaths.
The WHO said the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency like Covid-19 and advised against closing international borders.
Health officials say the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of Ebola for which there are no approved vaccines. Although more than 20 Ebola outbreaks have occurred in Congo and Uganda, this is only the third time the Bundibugyo virus has been detected.
The Bundibugyo virus was first detected in the Bundibugyo district of Uganda during an outbreak in 2007-2008 that infected 149 people and killed 37. The second occurrence was in 2012, in an outbreak in Isiro, Congo, in which 57 cases and 29 deaths were recorded.
Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but serious and often fatal. Source: Associated Press
*Content translated with the help of Artificial Intelligence, reviewed and edited by the Editorial Team BroadcastGrupo Estado’s real-time news system.
