WHO says risk of global Ebola spread is low, but high at national, regional levels
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the risk of Ebola spreading globally is low, but the danger is high within affected countries and nearby regions. The outbreak involves a rare Ebola strain in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with dozens of confirmed and hundreds of suspected cases.Key Facts
- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported 51 confirmed Ebola cases in Congo’s Ituri and North Kivu provinces.
- Uganda has confirmed 2 cases in its capital, Kampala.
- There are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak.
- The Ebola strain involved is the rare Bundibugyo type, for which no approved vaccines or medicines currently exist.
- The outbreak was detected late because initial tests checked for a more common Ebola type and came back negative.
- WHO declared the situation a public health emergency of international concern but not a pandemic.
- Congo is expecting experimental vaccines for other Ebola types from the US and UK, but these take time to test and use.
- Ebola spreads through contact with body fluids and causes severe symptoms, often leading to death.
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