New outbreak of Ebola
2005-05-18 13:35
Brazzaville - Health officials confirmed on Wednesday that Ebola had killed nine people and infected two in north-western Republic of Congo in the latest outbreak of the highly contagious haemorrhagic fever.
The outbreak occurred in Itoumbi district, 700km north-west of the capital, Brazzaville.
"The medical centre of Franceville (in neighbouring Gabon) has confirmed the presence of Ebola," said Dr Alzouma Yada Adamou, a World Health Organisation official in the Republic of Congo.
Adamou said eleven cases of Ebola, including nine deaths, had been reported in the Cuvette West region since May 7.
Last week, Republic of Congo health officials sent samples to Franceville to investigate what they called a "suspected Ebola-like virus."
Ebola is a haemorrhagic fever transmitted through direct contact with body fluids of infected persons or other primates. There is no cure and between 50% and 90% of victims die.
Last year, 120 people died of Ebola in the same Cuvette region, bordering Gabon.
Ebola generally kills rapidly and has so far afflicted remote regions of Africa, meaning the disease often burns out before spreading great distances.
- AP