WHO says Ebola outbreak expands fast in Congo, spreads to Uganda

Geneva: The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is expanding rapidly, with rising case numbers, wider geographic spread and cross-border transmission to Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

In its latest update, WHO currently assesses the risk as very high for DRC, high for Uganda and neighbouring countries sharing land borders with affected areas, and low for the rest of the African region and globally.

As of Sunday, DRC has reported 515 confirmed cases, including 91 deaths. Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths and one probable fatal case. All cases in Uganda remain epidemiologically linked to the outbreak in DRC, with evidence of both imported infections and secondary transmission among contacts and healthcare workers.

National authorities, working with WHO and partners, are implementing a range of response measures. On 5 June, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and WHO launched a joint continental Ebola preparedness and response plan, seeking 518 million U.S. dollars to support African countries in preparing for, detecting, and responding to the outbreak.

The outbreak involves Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a severe and often fatal form of Ebola disease. The virus is believed to originate in fruit bats and can spread through close contact with the blood or secretions of infected animals or the bodily fluids of infected people, Xinhua news agency reported.

The incubation period for BVD ranges from two to 21 days, and infected individuals are not contagious until symptoms appear.

Ebola disease is a severe disease caused by orthoebolaviruses, members of the filoviridae family, which occurs in humans and other primates. The disease was identified in 1976, in almost simultaneous outbreaks in Zaire (DRC) and Sudan (now South Sudan).

The current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, was officially declared on 15 May. While the Bundibugyo variant is less common than the Zaire strain responsible for several previous outbreaks, it can still cause severe illness and death.

IANS