(SeaPRwire) –   The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa an international public health emergency following reports of dozens of suspected deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo and nearby Uganda.

The outbreak, which is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the threshold for a pandemic-level emergency, according to the WHO.

This decision comes after 80 suspected Ebola-related deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases, and 246 suspected cases were recorded as of Saturday across at least three health zones in the DRC—Bunia, Rwampara, and Mongbwalu.

The announcement coincides with ongoing monitoring of a separate hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which has resulted in multiple illnesses among passengers and crew, including three fatalities.

As of May 13, the WHO confirmed 11 hantavirus cases connected to the cruise, comprising eight confirmed, two probable, and one inconclusive case.

In neighboring Uganda’s capital, Kampala, two distinct laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases—including one fatality—were reported on Friday and Saturday. Both individuals had traveled from the DRC.

A third laboratory-confirmed case was also identified in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, involving a person who had returned from Ituri province.

Early testing indicates that this Ebola strain is not the Zaire variant responsible for the deadly 2018–2020 epidemic in Congo, which claimed over 1,000 lives.

However, unlike the more common Ebola-Zaire strain, there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments available for the Bundibugyo strain—a fact the WHO highlighted as making this outbreak particularly exceptional.

The agency warned that the true scale of the outbreak may be larger than reported due to the high rate of positive results among initial tests and the increasing number of suspected cases.

The WHO emphasized that the outbreak poses a significant public health threat to other countries and urged nations to activate emergency response systems and enforce cross-border screening protocols.

Ebola is a highly contagious and often fatal disease transmitted through bodily fluids such as blood, vomit, and semen. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and internal bleeding.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that the DRC has demonstrated a strong history of successfully managing Ebola outbreaks, and announced the release of $500,000 in emergency funds to aid containment efforts.

The organization stated it will convene an emergency committee to evaluate and recommend strategies for how affected nations should respond.

No travel bans or border closures have been advised by the WHO.

The DRC has now experienced 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first detected there in 1976.

This report includes contributions from Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Brittany Miller, along with Reuters.