WHO calls Ebola outbreak in Congo ‘deeply concerning,’ no vaccine available

The World Health Organization has called the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo “deeply concerning,” noting that the strain has no licensed vaccine or treatment.

The statement from Dr. Anne Ancia, WHO representative in the DRC, comes as the agency monitors hundreds of cases of the deadly virus. So far, there have been 30 confirmed cases and 500 suspected cases, including 130 deaths.

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Uganda has also reported two confirmed cases, one of them fatal.

An American doctor is among those with confirmed infections. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to move the doctor to Germany, which has experience treating Ebola. Officials are also arranging for other high-risk contacts to be moved there.

“It is occurring in a highly complex epidemiological, operational and humanitarian context — marked by insecurity, population displacement, and both densely populated and remote areas,” Ancia said. “There is significant uncertainty about the number of infections and how far the virus has spread.”

Earlier this week, WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.

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The strain involved is the Bundibugyo virus, which has a fatality rate between 25% and 50%, WHO said. Common symptoms include fever, headache, vomiting, severe weakness, abdominal pain, nosebleeds and vomiting blood.

The outbreak was detected earlier this month among a cluster of healthcare workers in the DRC.

On Monday, the United States placed travel restrictions on non-U.S. passport holders who have been in Uganda, the DRC or South Sudan in the past 21 days.