The World Health Organisation on Sunday declared an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring Uganda an emergency of international concern.
The global health body warned the true scale of the number of cases and spread was not clear but stopped short of declaring a pandemic emergency, the highest alert level introduced in 2024.
It said the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, puts countries sharing land borders with DRC at high risk for further circulation.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday that a total of 88 people have died from the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever, with at least 336 suspected cases.
The strain - which was first identified in 2007 - has also killed a Congolese national in neighbouring Uganda, officials said Saturday.
