The World Health Organization (WHO) on the 17th declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) over the Ebola virus spreading in and around the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to WHO, as of the day, 88 presumed Ebola deaths and more than 300 suspected and confirmed cases were identified, centered on Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Among the dead were medical staff who had been treating patients.
WHO said, "Confirmed and suspected cases are rising rapidly, and there have even been cluster deaths," and "we judged that the risk of cross-border spread is growing." However, it explained that this does not correspond to a pandemic stage like COVID-19.
Two confirmed cases were also identified in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, which borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Both had a history of visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO believes the actual scale of infections may be larger than the official tally.
Ebola was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It spreads from wild animals such as fruit bats or chimpanzees to humans, and can also be transmitted between people through contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. Early infection presents with fever, muscle pain, and lethargy, and can worsen to vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding.
During the initial outbreaks, the fatality rate reached as high as 90%. In particular, during the 2014–2016 West Africa cluster outbreak, more than 11,000 people died, and about 2,300 also died during the 2018–2020 Democratic Republic of the Congo outbreak.
WHO said the virus currently spreading is the "Bundibugyo" lineage, a sub-lineage of Ebola. Unlike the conventional Ebola virus, this lineage still has no approved vaccine or specialized treatment.
Concerns about infectious diseases are mounting further as hantavirus cases linked to an Antarctic cruise have emerged. As of the day, the number of confirmed cases related to the Netherlands-flagged cruise ship "MV Hondius," which departed Argentina, rose to 10. One Canadian who had been in self-isolation after disembarking also reportedly received an additional presumptive positive result.