The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The agency stated that the outbreak, with around 246 suspected cases and 80 reported deaths, does not currently meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that there is still “significant uncertainty regarding the true number of infected individuals and the geographic spread” of the outbreak, BBC reports.
The current Ebola outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments, according to the health agency.
WHO confirmed that there are currently eight laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus, alongside additional suspected cases and deaths across three health zones, including Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and the gold-mining towns of Mongbwalu and Rwampara.
The global health agency also noted that the virus has spread beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo, with two confirmed cases reported in neighboring Uganda.
Ugandan officials stated that a 59-year-old man who died on Thursday had tested positive for the virus.
Countries bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo are considered at high risk for further spread due to population movement, trade, and travel.
