A deadly outbreak of a rare Ebola strain with no known cure has claimed 118 lives in Central Africa, with fears the death toll will rise. The Bundibugyo strain, declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO), has infected 300 suspected cases across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Emergency Response Launched
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) launched an emergency response yesterday as health officials warned that the number of cases is expected to climb. An American doctor in the DRC is among the newly confirmed infections. In response, the United States has banned entry for anyone who has been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past three weeks.
Detection Delays Worsen Crisis
The virus is believed to have spread undetected for weeks. Matthew M. Kavanagh, director of the Georgetown University Centre for Global Health Policy and Politics, explained: 'Because early tests looked for the wrong strain of Ebola, we got false negatives and lost weeks of response time. We are playing catch-up against a very dangerous pathogen.'
The Bundibugyo strain is transmitted through close contact with bodily fluids from sick or deceased patients, including sweat, blood, faeces, and vomit. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the risk of infection for people in Europe is considered very low.
