Explained | WHO declares Ebola outbreak a global emergency; here's all you need to know

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency on May 17. 

In a post shared on X, the agency said the outbreak in DC Congo’s eastern Ituri province has 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths reported so far. It does meet the criteria of a pandemic emergency, like Covid-19, and has suggested against closing international borders. However, it could potentially be a “much larger outbreak” than what is currently being detected. 

The director-general of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, “Unusual clusters of community deaths with symptoms compatible with Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) have been reported across several health zones in Ituri, and suspected cases have been reported across Ituri and North Kivu.”   

As of now, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths have been reported in Ituri Province of the DR Congo. In addition, two laboratory confirmed cases (including one death) with no apparent link to each other have been reported in Kampala, Uganda, within 24 hours of each other, on May 15 and May 16, among two individuals travelling from the DR Congo, the WHO release said. 

According to the WHO, the event constitutes a public health risk to other States Parties through the international spread of disease. The event, therefore, requires international co-ordination and co-operation to understand the extent of the outbreak, to co-ordinate surveillance, prevention and response efforts, to scale up and strengthen operations and ensure the ability to implement control measures. 

What is the Ebola virus? 

Ebola virus is a severe, zoonotic, often fatal infectious disease in humans, caused by viruses in the genus Orthoebolavirus. There are three: the Ebola virus, the Sudan virus and the Bundibugyo virus. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare variant of the Ebola disease, that has no approved therapeutics or vaccines. 

The symptoms of Ebola disease can be sudden and include fever, fatigue, malaise, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. These are followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, rash, and symptoms of impaired kidney and liver functions.

Despite a perception that bleeding is a common symptom, this is less frequent and can occur later in the disease. Some patients may develop internal and external bleeding, including blood in vomit and faeces, bleeding from the nose, gums and vagina. 

It can be difficult to clinically distinguish Ebola disease from other infectious diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis, meningitis and other viral haemorrhagic fevers because symptoms at an early stage of the disease are similar. 

How does it spread?

The disease originated in wild animals like fruit bats, and is transmitted to humans through contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected animals such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest antelope, or porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.

It spreads through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected people, or through contaminated environments (like bedding or clothing). It can be contracted via bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen.

A person infected with Ebola disease is isolated and monitored for 21 days to prevent further transmission of the virus. It is also important to safely dispose of the deceased to ensure the virus is contained.

What makes this Ebola outbreak more concerning? 

Ebola disease was first identified in 1976; since then, these viruses have emerged periodically. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that the Ebola virus is the deadliest and can turn fatal in 90 per cent of cases without treatment. It caused the 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa, the largest Ebola disease outbreak to date, with more than 28,600 cases reported. 

The Bundibugyo virus is the most recently discovered type of orthoebolavirus. It was discovered in 2007 and causes death in about 30 per cent of people who contract it. This particular outbreak is more concerning, according to experts, as there are no Bundibugyo virus vaccines or therapeutics available currently. There are only two approved Ebola vaccines, Ervebo (Merck & Co.) and Zabdeno and Mvabea (Janssen Pharmaceutica). Currently, Ervebo vaccine is recommended as an outbreak response.

Is India at risk? 

India remains at a low risk as there is no significant international air travel from the affected areas, experts say. Moreover, India is well-facilitated with thermal screenings, isolation protocols, and a global health network ensuring the virus is not transmitted. 

Experts further explain that Ebola virus is not easily transmissible as airborne viruses like Covid-19 because it primarily spreads through direct physical contact with infected bodily fluids. Therefore, the risk of it turning into a Covid-like pandemic is very low.