The World Health Organization declared an international health emergency over a rare strain of Ebola that has killed dozens in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but stopped short of calling the outbreak a pandemic on Sunday.

"WHO...is hereby determining that the Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), but does not meet the criteria of pandemic emergency," the Geneva-based global health body said in a statement, reports AFP.