During a meeting of the Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005) regarding the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Wednesday, the Committee said that a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) should not be declared at this time.
The Committee remains deeply concerned by the outbreak and emphasized that response activities need to be intensified and ongoing vigilance is critical and they noted the very complex security situation.
The most current information on the outbreak, according to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health, a total of 220 cases of hemorrhagic fever were reported in the region, 185 confirmed and 35 probable. Of the 185 confirmed, 107 died and 57 are cured. The others are hospitalized in the different Ebola Treatment Centers (ETCs).
Earlier this week it was reported that the US State Department ordered CDC experts on the ground in the war-zone were pulled from the outbreak zone.
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