An outbreak of a rare strain of the deadly Ebola virus in Africa has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organisation, with the death toll surging and hundreds of cases suspected.
Countries across the globe are already on alert – including in the Middle East – with Bahrain and Jordan introducing travel bans on central African countries and the UAE monitoring developments closely.
The latest outbreak has been caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola and is of particular concern because there is no vaccine for this version.
The spread of the virus has so far been limited to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – where the bulk of more than 130 deaths and 600 infections have occurred – and Uganda.
Eastern DRC has also been badly hit by years of conflict, creating extra difficulties in limiting the spread.
According to the UN refugee agency, more than two million people are internally displaced in the affected provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, where the provincial capital Goma remains under the control of rebel militia M23.
Here, The National explains all we know about the Ebola virus and what steps are being taken to safeguard public health.
What is Ebola virus?
Ebola is a relatively rare but deadly disease caused by a group of viruses. It primarily affects animals, typically fruit bats.
It can be transmitted to humans, with outbreaks often starting when people eat or handle infected animals.
It takes between two days and three weeks for symptoms to present, which are similar to the flu, with fever, headache and fatigue.
As the disease takes hold, it causes vomiting and diarrhoea and can lead to organ failure. Some patients can also experience internal and external bleeding.
The virus spreads from one person to another by contact with infected bodily fluids or objects contaminated by those bodily fluids.
Why is Bundibugyo of such concern?
There are no approved vaccines or drugs for Bundibugyo ebolavirus, heightening fears over its potential wider spread.
Emergency use authorisation would be required to implement any experimental treatment. It is possible that a vaccine for another species of Ebola called Zaire may be considered for use.
Efforts are currently concentrating on rapid case detection, isolation, contact tracing, infection prevention and safe burials, as well as raising community awareness of the virus and its threat.
Bundibugyo kills about 30 to 40 per cent of infected people, making it much less lethal than the more common Zaire strain, which is fatal in up to 90 per cent of cases, according to previous global studies.
Compared to the Zaire strain, which quickly reproduces itself to reach high levels in the patient’s body, Bundibugyo replicates more slowly.
Bundibugyo is one of the four species of ebolavirus genus that cause life-threatening illness in humans.
How did new outbreak start?
The first reported case involved a nurse in the DRC who developed symptoms on April 24. She died in Bunia, the capital of eastern DRC's Ituri province, Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said.
The minister said one of the reasons the virus spread so quickly was due to the number of people exposed to the body during the funeral ceremony.
Global response
World Health Organisation director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus a public health emergency of international concern on Saturday. It was the first time the head of the agency has done so before convening an emergency committee.
After a meeting of the WHO's emergency committee, Dr Tedros said the situation was “not a pandemic emergency” but posed serious risk in the outbreak zone in Africa. “WHO assesses the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels and low at the global level,” he said.
He warned that the outbreak poses a growing threat because infections have been detected in urban centres including Goma, Kampala in Uganda and the conflict-hit province of Ituri.
Safety measures in place
Bahrain and Jordan on Tuesday announced travel bans on central African countries due to the Ebola virus outbreak.
Visitors from Uganda and the DRC are banned for 30 days. Bahrain is also blocking travel from South Sudan and applying its ban to people who have visited any of the three countries in the past 30 days.
Jordanian citizens are exempt from their country's ban. Bahraini citizens arriving from the listed countries will be subject to approved health protocols.
The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention said it was prepared “to respond to any health developments or emerging situations, including those related to Ebola”, but had not yet announced travel restrictions for specific countries.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has warned of the high risk to countries bordering DRC, specifically Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.
A number of African countries are increasing border screenings as a result.
Rwanda has closed its borders with DRC, while Uganda has urged its public to avoid hugging and shaking hands.
Uganda has also postponed the Martyrs' Day pilgrimage, a Christian holiday held on June 3 each year, which attracts thousands of Congolese to join in the festivities.
