Ebola outbreak declared a global health emergency #shorts
The World Health Organization has declared an Ebola outbreak the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is a global health emergency.
Most of the 300 plus suspected Ebola cases and 80 suspected ebola deaths have been reported in Congo, with two two confirmed cases reported in Uganda. Those two patients had reportedly recently traveled from Congo.
The cases are largely centered in Ituri, a province in the northeast part of Congo, already dealing with an ongoing humanitarian crisis and extreme violence from militia groups.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of Ebola that does not have an approved vaccine.
That, combined with the rapid rise in cases prompted the WHO to declare the situation a “public health emergency of international concern.”
The alert is not as high as a global pandemic emergency declaration like COVID-19, but it is meant to prompt a coordinated public health response.
Ebola is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids from an infected person. Its symptoms, like unexplained bleeding, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, develop rapidly, and the disease is often deadly.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it is coordinating the withdrawal of a small number of Americans affected by the outbreak. At least one American missionary has tested positive for ebola so far.
The CDC is also enhancing health screenings for travelers from Uganda, DRC and South Sudan. Those who have visited the countries in the last 21 days and do not hold U.S. passports could face entry restrictions.
This ebola outbreak comes after the Trump administration eliminated USAID and slashed funding to the CDC. Those cuts could diminish how well the U.S. can respond to an outbreak.
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