Geneva, May 17 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), citing confirmed cross-border transmission, rising suspected deaths and fears that the outbreak could spread rapidly across the region.
The declaration follows reports of laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases in eastern Congo's Ituri province and Uganda's capital Kampala, including at least one death, with health authorities warning that the true scale of the outbreak may be far larger than currently detected.
WHO said eight confirmed cases, 246 suspected infections and 80 suspected deaths had been re...