The DRC Ebola Outbreak May Be Declared an International Public Health Emergency. Here ’s What to Know

The World Health Organization (WHO) will meet Wednesday to determine whether a worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. The meeting, set to be held at the United Nations’ headquarters in Geneva, comes about a month after the WHO upgraded Ebola’s risk level in the DRC from “high” to “very high,” according to a UN statement. At that time, global risk was deemed low and the WHO did not recommend limiting travel or trade in and out of the DRC. But depending on the conclusion of Wednesday’s emergency meeting, that designation may soon change. Here’s what to know about the Ebola outbreak in the DRC. How severe is the Ebola outbreak? The DRC’s current Ebola outbreak, its 10th in 40 years, was officially declared on Aug. 1, shortly after the end of another outbreak in the country that claimed 33 lives. As of Oct. 15, the WHO had recorded 181 confirmed cases of Ebola, as well as 35 suspected cases. Nearly 140 deaths have been reported, including 104 confirmed to be a result of Ebola. About half of confirmed cases were reported in the Beni and Mabalako health zones, located in the country’s populous North Kivu Province, according to a recent WHO case report. The disease appears to be spreading in the Beni, Butembo and Mabalako health zones. Fifty people had been successfully treated for Ebola and released back into their communities ...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized ebola healthytime onetime Source Type: news