Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda escalates; WHO reports over 900 cases
An Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus is escalating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The World Health Organization reports more than 900 confirmed cases and over 230 deaths, with no vaccine or treatment approved for this strain.
An Ebola outbreak in central Africa is escalating faster than responders expected. The World Health Organization reports more than 900 confirmed cases and over 230 deaths across the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with most cases in the Congo's Ituri province. The virus is the Bundibugyo strain, for which no vaccine or treatment is approved, as existing ones were developed for the Zaire strain. WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern in May. The US CDC has modeled a worst case of up to twenty thousand cases and four thousand deaths within three months if the spread is not contained. Sources: WHO Disease Outbreak News, US CDC MMWR.