WHO declares Ebola outbreak in DRC an international public health emergency

The World Health Organization announced on Saturday that the Ebola outbreak first identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been declared an international public health emergency. The declaration follows reports of travel related cases in Kinshasa and Kampala, Uganda.

The cases are linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has only been documented in two previous outbreaks. Health officials have limited experience with this variant and there are currently no licensed vaccines or therapeutics available.

As of the announcement, eight cases have been confirmed, 246 suspected, and about 80 suspected deaths have been reported in the remote Ituri province of the DRC, an area also affected by a long-standing conflict.