Bundibugyo Ebolavirus Has Now Crossed Into Uganda, Killed Healthcare Workers And Produced Unexplained Death Clusters And The World Has No Approved Therapeutic To Fight It
According to AP News, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday, May 17, after more than 336 suspected cases and 88 deaths were reported.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of Ebola with no approved therapeutics or vaccines. Although more than 20 Ebola outbreaks have taken place in Congo and Uganda, this is only the third time Bundibugyo virus has been reported since it was first identified in western Uganda in 2007. The declaration was triggered by cross-border transmission, unexplained clusters of deaths and major uncertainty about the true scale of the epidemic.
The WHO stressed the outbreak does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency, advised against border closures and urged countries instead to activate national emergency mechanisms and implement cross-border screening. Neighbouring countries have been placed at high risk of further spread. Uganda confirmed one imported case from Congo on Saturday. Healthcare worker deaths and clusters of unexplained fatalities indicate wider transmission and significant gaps in infection control within already fragile health systems.
This is the same Ituri province outbreak TTT first reported last week. It has now become a formal global emergency.
To check out our previous coverage on the Ebola outbreak in Ituri, read our article here.
