World Health Organization Declares Ebola Outbreak In Africa A Global Public Health Emergency, Over 300 Cases With Suspected 88 Deaths, No Vaccine For Current Strain

On Saturday evening (May 16), the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the spread of the Ebola virus in Africa, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, is a global public health emergency after over 300 cases with 88 suspected deaths.

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The declaration arrives just one day after the outbreak, the third ever detected, was first announced. Cases of the virus were confirmed in the capitals of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo: Kinshasa, Congo and Kampala, Uganda. The outbreak was reportedly first identified in Congo’s Ituri Province.

According to the African Union’s health agency (Africa CDC), there are 336 suspected cases. Of that, at least 80 (with a suspected 88) deaths were likely caused by the virus. 8 out of 13 samples collected have been confirmed and linked to the virus through laboratory testing.

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Third Ebola Outbreak In Africa, Over 300 Cases And 88 Deaths Suspected

In Congo, there are 246 suspected cases with at least 80 deaths. Another case was then reported in Goma. The major city is located in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and controlled by the M23 armed group.

In the neighboring nation of Uganda, there were two confirmed Ebola cases, including one death. The patients are believed to have traveled from Congo. WHO said a 59-year-old Congolese man, who was admitted to a hospital in Kampala on May 11, died three days later. The other confirmed case, in Kinshasa, involved someone returning from Ituri Province.

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Currently there is no approved vaccine for the latest outbreak stain. Since the latest Ebola outbreak announcement, WHO declared a “public health emergency of international concern.” However, the agency said the outbreak does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency.

The World Health Organization added, “There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time.”

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