WHO declares 'international emergency' after more than 80 people die in undetected Ebola epidemic

The World Health Organisation has declared an "international public health emergency" after a deadly epidemic of Ebola in Africa.

The disease has been caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a disease closely related to the Ebola virus which currently has no vaccine.

So far, eight confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Further cases have been picked up in neighbouring Uganda.

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And in a chilling update, experts say the outbreak may have already been spreading for more than three weeks undetected in Africa.

The WHO said all the signs "point towards a potentially much larger outbreak than what is currently being detected and reported".

While Dr Jean Kaseya, director general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said officials have still not found patient zero.

Early investigations suggested the first case of the outbreak came in the third week of April, Dr Kaseya said.

He added: "So far we don’t know the index case. It means we don’t know the magnitude of this outbreak."

The virus is extremely contagious, which has sparked concerns due to its spread in an area with busy cross-border traffic and migration.

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the WHO's Director General, said the organisation would be calling an emergency meeting as soon as possible to work out what to do.

But the WHO demanded that "no country should close its borders or place any restrictions on travel and trade".

"Such measures are usually implemented out of fear and have no basis in science," it said.

More to follow...

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