The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday declared an international health emergency following the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Africa) 88 people have been killed and more than 300 suspected cases of the highly contagious infection have been reported so far.
While declaring the in DRC and Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, its second-highest level of alert, the WHO also noted that it does not meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency.
Ebola outbreak in DRC, Uganda
The WHO, in its assessment, noted that 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths have been reported in Ituri Province of DRC across at least three health zones, and two laboratory confirmed cases, including one death with no apparent link to each other, have been reported in Kampala, Uganda.
“There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread,” the WHO noted.
What causes Ebola disease?
Ebola disease is caused by a group of viruses. Three of them are known to cause large outbreaks: Ebola virus, Sudan virus and Bundibugyo virus. According to the WHO, the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which is rare and has been responsible for only two previously reported outbreaks.
The Bundibugyo virus was first detected in Uganda’s Bundibugyo district during a 2007-2008 outbreak that infected 149 people and killed 37. The second time was in 2012, in an outbreak in Isiro, Congo, where 57 cases and 29 deaths were reported.
Past deadly Ebola outbreaks
The first case of the Ebola outbreak was reported back in 1976, in what is now South Sudan and Congo, and since then, there have been sporadic cases in West and Central Africa.
The worst case of the Ebola outbreak was between 2013 and 2016, when over 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths were reported from . Isolated cases of Ebola, linked to travel to the affected countries, were also reported from the US, UK, Italy and Spain during the same period.
Another major Ebola outbreak was reported from Congo and Uganda between 2018 and 2020, which affected more than 3,400 people and caused more than 2,200 deaths.
How does Ebola disease spread?
According to the US CDC, Ebola infection can be deadly, with a mortality rate as high as 80 to 90 per cent.
Ebola spreads exclusively through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or animal, or by touching contaminated objects. It is not an airborne disease and cannot be spread through casual contact, water, or mosquito bites.
Ebola disease symptoms
The symptoms of Ebola disease can be sudden and include fever, fatigue, malaise, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. These are followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain rash, and symptoms of impaired kidney and liver functions. It is important for health and care workers to be on the lookout for these symptoms.
Can vaccines prevent Ebola
According to the WHO, there are two highly effective vaccines available to prevent Ebola. But these vaccines are effective only against the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus and do not offer protection against other strains.
How to stay safe?
The WHO advises to reducing contact with infected fruit bats or monkeys/apes and the consumption of their raw meat to lower the risk of wildlife-to-human transmission. To reduce the risk of human-to-human transmission, the UN agency advises against close physical contact with Ebola patients. Patients should be isolated in a designated treatment center for early care and to avoid transmission at home, the WHO notes.
