Ebola outbreak reported in Democratic Republic of Congo
A new Ebola outbreak has been detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the World Health Organization.
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Since April 22, there have been nine suspected Ebola cases and three deaths, the WHO said. One out of the five blood samples tested at the DRC's National Biomedical Research Institute tested positive for the disease.
Six people remain hospitalized with the dangerous virus, which can cause hemorrhagic fever.
The cases were found in the Likati district. Teams of epidemiologists and biologists are expected to arrive at the scene soon, according to the WHO.
"The Likati health district is in a remote area, but contact tracing is essential to contain the epidemic in its focus; the DRC can rely on very experienced health workers for this purpose," Dr. Yokouidé Allarangar, the WHO representative in the DRC, said in a statement today.
This marks the eighth outbreak of the deadly virus since it was first discovered 1976. Starting in March 2014, a massive Ebola outbreak spread through multiple countries including Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Nearly 29,000 people were suspected of having been infected and 11,325 people died from the virus.
