World Health Organization,WHO, decries Ebola outbreak affects over 246 suspected victims, 80 suspected deaths and eight laboratory-confirmed infections in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

The Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak a global health emergency on Tuesday after suspected infections and deaths continued to rise in eastern Congo and confirmed cases emerged beyond the initial outbreak zone.

In a statement issued by Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, it determined that the outbreak met the criteria for a “public health emergency of international concern” after consulting with authorities in both countries.

Although, the situation is not currently classified as a pandemic emergency,

the agency warned that the outbreak may be broader than current figures suggest, citing uncertainties surrounding the actual number of infections and the geographical spread of the virus.

The disease spreads from animal hosts, such as bats, to people and spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids.