EP:// 137 EBOLA!!

On September 30, 2014, a patient in a hospital in Dallas was diagnosed with Ebola, according to the head of the Centers for Disease Control. According to Dr. Jon LaPook, this is the first time the illness, which has killed hundreds in West Africa, has been identified in the United States.The World Health Organization has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern. The outbreak in DR Congo's eastern Ituri province has resulted in about 246 suspected cases and 80 deaths, but it does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency. The WHO warned that it could be "a much larger outbreak" than currently detected and reported, with a significant risk of local and regional spread. The current strain of Ebola is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which there are no approved drugs or vaccines.Early symptoms include fever, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, and sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, a rash, and bleeding.The WHO said there are now eight laboratory-confirmed cases of the virus, with other suspected cases and deaths across three health zones, including Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, and the gold-mining towns of Mongwalu and Rwampara.One case of the virus has been confirmed in the capital, Kinshasa, believed to involve a patient returning from Ituri. The WHO said the virus has spread beyond DR Congo, with two confirmed cases reported in neighboring Uganda. Ugandan officials said a 59-year-old man who died on Thursday had tested positive.