WHO chief: 600 suspected cases of Ebola, 139 suspected deaths, numbers expected to rise

GENEVA, May ​20 - ​The head of the ​World Health Organization said on Wednesday there were 600 suspected cases of Ebola ‌and ⁠139 suspected ⁠deaths and numbers ​are expected to rise given the amount of ​time the virus circulated before the outbreak was ​detected.

A WHO Emergency ⁠Committee met ‌on Tuesday in Geneva and confirmed that the ⁠latest Ebola outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus is a public health emergency of international concern but not a pandemic emergency, WHO Director-General ‌Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Tedros declared the emergency ​at ​the weekend, ⁠the first time a WHO chief has taken that step without ​first consulting experts, due to the urgency of the situation, he said.