Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Sunday declared the Ebola outbreak affecting Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern after the number of suspected infections surpassed 300 and deaths climbed to 88.

In a statement posted on X, the World Health Organization said the outbreak does not currently meet the threshold of a global pandemic emergency similar to COVID-19 and advised countries against closing international borders.

Health officials confirmed the outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, a rare variant for which there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments.

Although Congo and Uganda have experienced more than 20 Ebola outbreaks over the years, this marks only the third recorded outbreak involving the Bundibugyo variant.

Authorities first reported the spread of the disease Friday in Congo’s eastern province of Ituri Province, a region bordering Uganda and South Sudan.

On Saturday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported 336 suspected cases and 87 deaths tied to the outbreak.

According to the WHO, nearly all confirmed cases have been recorded in Congo, with only two infections reported so far in neighboring Uganda.