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WHO Declares International Health Emergency Over Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak

The move reflects concern over cross-border spread given urban cases without any approved vaccines.

Overview

  • The WHO, which declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Sunday, cited the risk of spread beyond Congo and the lack of an approved vaccine.
  • Health agencies report more than 300 suspected cases and at least 80 deaths, with the heaviest toll in Ituri province.
  • Authorities confirmed a lab-positive case in Goma and another in Kinshasa after travel from Ituri.
  • Uganda recorded imported infections, including a 59-year-old Congolese man who sought care in Kampala and died.
  • The WHO urged stronger surveillance, contact tracing, and isolation while advising against border closures as conflict and displacement hamper the response.