The number of Ebola deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 131. The World Health Organization has convened an emergency meeting to discuss countermeasures.

(Geneva News) The Ebola outbreak in the African country of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is believed to have claimed 131 lives. The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed deep concern over the scale and speed of the epidemic and will convene a meeting of the WHO's emergency committee for consultation.

The World Health Organization announced on Sunday (May 17th) that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has constituted a public health emergency of international concern.

Tandecse said at the World Health Assembly held in Geneva on Tuesday (the 19th): "I did not make this decision lightly... I am deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the spread of the epidemic."

He pointed out that the eastern province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the epidemic first emerged, has been affected by armed conflicts. In recent months, the conflicts have intensified, resulting in over 100,000 new internally displaced persons in the region.

Furthermore, reports have been received indicating that some medical staff have died, which suggests the presence of medical-related transmission. This current wave of the epidemic is caused by the less common Bandibaso type Ebola virus. Currently, there are no approved vaccines or treatment options for this virus strain.

The World Health Organization's representative in Congo, Anisia, stated on Tuesday that they are investigating whether any candidate vaccines or treatment options are available to contain this Ebola outbreak. She does not believe that the Ebola outbreak can be brought under control within two months.

The World Health Organization will hold an emergency committee meeting on that day to provide technical advice and suggestions to Tedros regarding this epidemic.

The health minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kamba, said that the latest Ebola outbreak is estimated to have claimed 131 lives and the number of suspected cases has risen to 513.

Tandetse said that currently there have been 30 confirmed cases of Ebola in Ituri Province; in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, one death case and one confirmed case were reported. Both patients were those who entered the country from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Tedros emphasized that as the on-site operations expand, including enhanced monitoring, contact tracing and laboratory testing, the total number of confirmed and suspected cases "will change".

He said that the outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola were merely the latest crises faced in this dangerous and divided era. "From conflicts, economic crises, to climate change and cuts in international aid, the world is currently in a period of difficulty, danger and division."

A spokesperson for the German Ministry of Health confirmed on Tuesday that an American worker in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been diagnosed with the Ebola virus and will be transferred to Germany for treatment. It is reported that the patient is an American missionary. The doctor contracted the virus while treating patients at a hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The United States is strengthening its preventive measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including screening air passengers from epidemic-stricken areas and suspending visa services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States announced on Monday that non-US citizens who had traveled to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or South Sudan in the past 21 days will be temporarily prohibited from entering the country. This ban will last for 30 days.