WHO declares ebola outbreak in Congo a global health emergency

  1. The World Health Organization(WHO) has declared the Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern.
  2. Public health emergency is defined as an extraordinary event that is determined to constitute a public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and it requires a coordinated international response.
  3. The public emergency announcement is the highest level of alarm that is only raised during the gravest of outbreak.
  4. Ebola virus disease(EVD) formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe often fatal illness in humans.The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
  5. Ebola initially causes sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat.It progresses to vomiting, diarrhoea and both internal and external bleeding.Patients tend to die from dehydration and multiple organ failure.