At least 100 deaths reported in Ebola outbreak in Central Africa

At least 100 people have reportedly died in an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

According to the BBC, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said there were more than 390 suspected cases in the DRC.

The outbreak was confirmed in the northeastern province of Ituri. The Associated Press quoted a Congolese official as saying that an American doctor is among the newly confirmed cases in the province.

One death has also been reported in neighboring Uganda. The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which lacks an effective vaccine, has been detected among the patients.

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, but says it does not meet the criteria of a pandemic.

Still, national public health authorities are stepping up vigilance.

In the United States, President Donald Trump was asked by a reporter on Monday if Americans should be concerned about Ebola. He replied that he certainly is, adding that although the disease is confined right now to Africa, "it's something that has had a breakout."

On the same day, the Trump administration barred the entry of foreign nationals who have visited the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan within the last 21 days.

nhk