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WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the Ebola disease outbreak in Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern on Sunday after more than 300 suspected cases and 86 deaths.
In a social media post, the World Health Organization stated that the outbreak does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, like the COVID-19 pandemic, and advised against closing international borders.
Ebola is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen.
Health authorities have confirmed the current outbreak is caused by 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 the Bundibugyo virus has been reported.
