World Health Organization (WHO) says Ebola outbreak expands fast in Congo, spreads to Uganda

Geneva: The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is expanding rapidly, with rising case numbers, wider geographic spread and cross-border transmission to Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

In its latest update, WHO currently assesses the risk as very high for DRC, high for Uganda and neighbouring countries sharing land borders with affected areas, and low for the rest of the African region and globally.

As of Sunday, DRC has reported 515 confirmed cases, including 91 deaths. Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases, including two deaths and one probable fatal case. All cases in Uganda remain epidemiologically linked to the outbreak in DRC, with evidence of both imported infections and secondary transmission among contacts and healthcare workers.

National authorities, working with WHO and partners, are implementing a range of response measures. On 5 June, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and WHO launched a joint continental Ebola preparedness and response plan, seeking 518 million U.S. dollars to support African countries in preparing for, detecting, and responding to the outbreak. (IANS)

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