DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Declared Emergency Amid Vaccine Delays and Public Unrest
The WHO has declared an Ebola outbreak in DR Congo a public health emergency. The rare Bundibugyo species lacks a vaccine, with development potentially taking nine months. The situation is compounded by conflict and a recent incident where an angry crowd set fire to hospital tent
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO). The current outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo species, for which no vaccine currently exists. While two candidate vaccines are under development, the WHO indicates it could take up to nine months for one to be ready, as neither has undergone clinical trials. The WHO chief reported 600 suspected cases. The situation is complicated by the outbreak's location in a conflict zone and concerns it may be spreading rapidly. In one incident, an angry crowd reportedly set fire to isolation tents at a hospital after being prevented from retrieving a body for burial. Sources: BBC News