Ebola outbreak declared an “international health emergency” by World Health Organisation

The epidemic of Ebola that is spreading through west Africa has been called an “international health emergency” by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

 

Officials from the organisation, who gathered for an emergency meeting in Switzerland to discuss the outbreak, described the case as “particularly serious” because of the virulence. 

 

So far, 930 people have been killed and there is currently no cure for the disease which has a mortality rate of between 55 and 90 per cent. 

 

The epidemic began in Guinea in February and has since spread to Sierra Leone, Liberia and, most recently, Nigeria.

 

A suspected Ebola death also occurred in Saudi Arabia yesterday.