World Health Organization (WHO)

Shì Wèi Zǔzhī

世卫组织

to declare / to announce

xuānbù

宣布

Congo (DRC)

Gāngguǒ

刚果

Ebola

Āibólā

埃博拉

epidemic / outbreak

yìqíng

疫情

to constitute / to form

gòuchéng

构成

international

guójì

国际

sudden-onset / emergency

tūfā

突发

public health

gōnggòng wèishēng

公共卫生

event / incident

shìjiàn

事件

。

New Words

News in English

WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak in DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern

The WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17. As of May 26, over 1,000 suspected cases and 121 confirmed cases had been reported, with no approved vaccine for this virus strain.

The World Health Organization officially declared on May 17th that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, and currently there are no approved vaccines or specific medicines targeting this particular virus strain. As of May 26th, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has reported 121 confirmed cases and over one thousand suspected cases, while Uganda has also discovered seven confirmed cases. The epidemic has already spread to three eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. The WHO stated that armed conflict and population displacement in the region have seriously hindered local epidemic response efforts. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention subsequently announced strengthened entry screening measures to prevent the epidemic from spreading into the United States.

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