Oluwatobi Adu 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak spreading across the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a global public health emergency, warning that the disease poses a serious threat to neighbouring countries.
In a statement issued on Sunday, WHO described the outbreak as “extraordinary” and warned that infections may be far higher than currently reported because of the growing number of suspected cases and high positivity rates from early laboratory samples.
Health officials said the outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments.
As of Saturday, authorities had recorded 246 suspected cases, eight laboratory-confirmed infections and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri Province in eastern DRC, particularly across Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu health zones.
The DRC Ministry of Health earlier confirmed that the outbreak represents the country’s 17th Ebola epidemic since the virus was first identified there in 1976.
“The DRC-Uganda outbreak poses a public health risk to other countries, with some cases of an international spread already documented,” WHO said.
In Uganda’s capital, Kampala, two unrelated laboratory-confirmed cases, including one death, were linked to infected travellers arriving from the DRC.
Another confirmed case was detected in Kinshasa involving an individual who recently travelled from Ituri Province.
Despite the escalating outbreak, WHO advised governments against imposing border closures or trade restrictions, warning that such measures could force travellers to use unregulated crossings that are more difficult to monitor.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had earlier disclosed that preliminary investigations suggested the virus was a non-Zaire Ebola strain, while genomic sequencing continues.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, contaminated materials and bodies of deceased victims and can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and severe internal complications.
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Hussaini Ibrahim 
Oluwafunbi Bello 