The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Ituri province of the Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern, amid fears of the virus spreading to neighboring countries.
According to the WHO, about 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths have been reported so far, although the agency stressed that the situation does not meet the criteria to be declared a global pandemic.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that there is "considerable uncertainty" about the real number of infected people and the geographic spread of the virus.
According to health authorities, the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
The WHO confirmed eight laboratory cases of the virus, while other suspected cases have been reported in three health zones, including the city of Bunia and the Mongwalu and Rwampara mining areas in Ituri province.
The virus has already crossed the borders of the DR Congo. Two confirmed cases have also been reported in Uganda, where a 59-year-old man tested positive before dying.
The WHO warned that Congo's neighboring countries are at high risk due to population movement, trade and cross-border travel. The agency called on Congo and Uganda to set up emergency centers for monitoring, tracing and isolating cases.
According to experts, Ebola is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids and causes severe bleeding and organ failure. Initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, muscle aches and headaches, followed by vomiting, diarrhea and bleeding.
The Ebola virus was first identified in 1976 in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo and is believed to have been originally transmitted by bats. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the country.
According to the WHO, the average mortality rate from Ebola is around 50%. Over the past 50 years, around 15,000 people have died from the virus in various African countries.
The most severe outbreak in the DR Congo occurred between 2018-2020, when nearly 2,300 people died, while another outbreak last year caused 45 fatalities.
