The health ministry in Congo has said four more people have died from Ebola in eastern Democratic Republic of the country, two weeks after another outbreak that killed 33 people in the northwest was declared over.
Four new deaths from people who tested positive for the disease were recorded in the Beni region in North Kivu province, a region with deep security problems which shares borders with Uganda and Rwanda.
The total death toll has reached seven from 16 confirmed cases, the ministry said in a bulletin on Monday.
“In total, 43 cases of haemorrhagic fever have been reported in the region, including 16 confirmed and 27 probable, and 31 suspected cases are under investigation,” the ministry said. A
lmost 1000 people who have had “contact” with the virus have been registered in health zones under surveillance, it said.
“Twelve teams of vaccinators will be deployed in different affected areas,” the ministry said, adding that teams had arrived in Beni. The health ministry on August 1 said the country was facing its tenth outbreak of Ebola since 1976.
The World Health Organization has said the “deterioration of the security situation” in affected area was expected to hinder the response to the outbreak.
