Ebola outbreak in Central Africa declared a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’

Key points

• The decision, announced by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus on Sunday, follows reports of both confirmed and suspected infections linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
• While the situation is serious, it does not currently meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency under the WHO’s International Health Regulations.
• As of 16 May, health authorities had recorded eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri Province in eastern DRC.
• Cases have also been confirmed in the capital, Kinshasa, and across the border in Uganda, where two infected individuals travelled from DRC and were admitted to intensive care.
• WHO warned that the outbreak is likely larger than currently detected, pointing to clusters of unexplained deaths, a high positivity rate among tested samples and limited understanding of transmission patterns.