Ugandan health authorities on Monday reported two new Ebola cases, bringing the number of infections to seven, according to PBS NewsHour and the Washington Times. The announcement came as the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency over the latest outbreak, which began in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
The two new cases are health workers in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, Deutsche Welle reported. The identification of infected health workers in the capital city represents a significant development in the outbreak's geographic spread. Channel 4 News reported that five cases have been confirmed in Uganda as a rare strain spreads in central Africa.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the outbreak has reached substantially higher numbers. Infections have risen to over 900, according to the World Health Organization. Breitbart and Deutsche Welle both reported on the rising infection count in the DRC, with Breitbart noting that DRC infections have exceeded 900.
Breitbart reported that a second incident of Congolese youths storming an Ebola clinic to demand the return of infected bodies for funerals took place on Sunday evening. The incident represents ongoing challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where local populations have at times resisted Ebola response efforts. The youths sought the return of bodies of those who died from the virus for funeral purposes.
The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency over the latest outbreak, which began in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Deutsche Welle. The declaration by the international health body underscores the regional and international concern over the virus's spread across borders.
The death toll from the current outbreak so far is a fraction of the 11,000 who died in the worst ever Ebola outbreak, which ended a decade ago, according to Channel 4 News. The comparison provides historical context for the current outbreak's severity relative to previous epidemics.
Health officials in both Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to monitor the situation as the outbreak develops.
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