New Delhi, May 18 -- The Union health ministry has initiated strict precautionary public health measures amid the spreading Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, according to two officials familiar with the matter.

The outbreak, driven by the Bundibugyo virus strain, has rapidly intensified across the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

The move follows the World Health Organization's declaration of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

The epidemic, according to the latest WHO situation reports, has already resulted in at least 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province alone. Cross-border transmission has also been confirmed, with...