What to Know About the Latest Ebola Outbreak
The New York Times • • health
Key Points:
- The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency due to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C.) and Uganda, with about 80 deaths reported in Ituri Province.
- Nearly 250 suspected cases have been reported in the D.R.C., but only eight have been definitively confirmed through laboratory testing; cases have also been confirmed in Uganda.
- The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which lacks targeted vaccines or treatments, complicating containment efforts.
- Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by orthoebolaviruses, first identified in 1976, and four of its six known species can cause fatal illness in humans.
- The Bundibugyo virus is part of the Ebola virus family and is responsible for the current outbreak triggering the WHO's emergency declaration.