WHO declares international health emergency after Ebola outbreak in Congo

An outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been declared an international "public health emergency" by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO reports there are 246 suspected cases and 80 unexplained deaths so far in the DRC's Ituri province in the remote east of the country, bordering Uganda and South Sudan.

But the true figure could be even higher, as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reports 87 deaths and 336 suspected cases, with 13 formal diagnoses.

Two cases have been confirmed in Uganda's capital Kampala, including one death, from people said to have travelled from the DRC.

The body of the patient who died in Kampala was later transported back to the DRC, with the Ugandan health ministry announcing the cases were "imported" from its neighbour.

A person travelling from Ituri province was also diagnosed with Ebola in the DRC's capital, Kinshasa, according to the United Nations health agency .

The WHO added the current outbreak does not meet the level of a pandemic, but it did warn the DRC should implement emergency measures including a national control centre and that neighbouring countries were at risk of the virus spreading.

The WHO stated: "Neighbouring countries sharing land borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo are considered at high risk for further spread due to population mobility, trade and travel linkages, and ongoing epidemiological uncertainty."

While it advised comprehensive instructions for the DRC and its neighbours, the WHO does not recommend border controls for other states.

It added: "Entry screening at airports or other ports of entry outside the affected region are not considered needed for passengers returning from areas at risk.