India postpones India-Africa Forum Summit as WHO declares Ebola emergency
With Ebola cases rising fast in Africa, India is tightening airport screenings and has postponed the India-Africa Forum Summit.
The World Health Organization (WHO) just called the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern, after nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Uganda had five confirmed cases.
This time, it's the Bundibugyo strain (there's no vaccine or treatment for it yet).
DRC nearly 750 suspected Ebola cases
The outbreak was reported on May 15 in the DRC and quickly led to nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. Uganda has also confirmed five cases.
The spread has been tough to control because of delayed detection, ongoing violence, and people moving across borders.
In response, India is ramping up entry-point checks at airports, warning against travel to affected places, and sharing safety guidelines with states, but so far, there are no reported Ebola cases in India.
Scientists at Oxford University are working on a vaccine that could enter clinical trials within two to three months, and the Serum Institute of India says it is ready to mass-produce it once supplied with medical-grade material.