The World Health Organization on Sunday declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.

The announcement was made after eight confirmed cases of the virus, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths were reported in Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Cases have also been reported in the capital, Kinshasa, and neighbouring Uganda.

The United Nations body said that the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency. However, the trends of suspected cases and clusters of deaths being reported in Ituri “point towards a potentially much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and reported, with significant local and regional risk of spread”, it added.

Ebola is a virus that causes sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat in the initial stages. However, it escalates to vomiting, diarrhoea, internal and external bleeding. Infection occurs after coming into direct contact with the blood, vomit, faeces or bodily fluids of someone suffering from Ebola. Patients reportedly die due to dehydration and multiple organ failure.

According to the health agency, there is no proven cure for Ebola and the disease has an average fatality rate of around 50%....

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