The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday released an alert over an outbreak of a strain of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the United Nations health body declared it an international emergency.
On Sunday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak, caused by a rare virus in Congo and nearby Uganda, a public health emergency of international concern, after more than 300 suspected cases and 88 deaths.
WHO said on X that a laboratory-confirmed case has also been reported in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, which is about 620 miles from the epicenter of the outbreak in the eastern province of Ituri, suggesting a possible wider spread. It said the patient had visited Ituri and that other suspected cases have also been reported in North Kivu province, which is one of Congo’s most populous and borders Ituri.
The CDC alert was listed as Level 2, meaning that people who may travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo should "practice enhanced cautions." It advised people in Ituri province to "avoid contact with people who have symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, and rash" while it also said that people should avoid going to healthcare facilities in the area, among other precautionary advice.
Aside from the alert issued by the CDC, the U.S. Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo stated that Ituri province is listed under a Level 4, or "do not travel," advisory due to the viral outbreak.
In Uganda, which borders Ituri province, the U.S. Embassy noted that a travel health notice was issued over the Ebola outbreak. The overall State Department travel advisory for Uganda was listed Level 3, or "reconsider travel," while the CDC issued a Level 1 alert, or "practice usual precautions," for the country.
Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted via bodily fluids such as vomit or blood. The disease it causes is rare, but it is considered severe and often fatal.
Health authorities say the current outbreak, first confirmed on Friday, is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of the Ebola disease that has no approved therapeutics or vaccines. Although more than 20 Ebola outbreaks have taken place in Congo and Uganda, this is only the third time that the Bundibugyo ebolavirus has been detected.
Officials first reported the spread of the disease in Ituri province, close to Uganda and South Sudan, on Friday. On Saturday, the Africa CDC reported 336 suspected cases and 87 deaths in Congo.
Congo accounts for all except two of the cases, both of which were reported in Uganda, WHO said.
“There are significant uncertainties to the true number of infected persons and geographic spread associated with this event at the present time. In addition, there is limited understanding of the epidemiological links with known or suspected cases,” WHO said in a statement.
The outbreak, the statement added, "requires international coordination and cooperation to understand the extent of the outbreak, to coordinate surveillance, prevention and response efforts, to scale up and strengthen operations and ensure ability to implement control measures."