DR CONGO: New Ebola outbreak days after previous epidemic ends

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, just days after a recent emergence of the disease, which killed 33 people, was declared over. Four cases of the virus were confirmed in north-eastern North Kivu province, the DRC’s health minister said in a statement, though there was […]

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, just days after a recent emergence of the disease, which killed 33 people, was declared over.

Four cases of the virus were confirmed in north-eastern North Kivu province, the DRC’s health minister said in a statement, though there was no indication they were linked to the country’s previous – and ninth – Ebola outbreak in northwestern Equateur Province.

"Although we did not expect to face a tenth epidemic so early, the detection of the virus is an indicator of the proper functioning of the surveillance system," Health Minister Oly Ilunga said.

However, it might be impossible to use a vaccine to tackle the new outbreak, Peter Salama, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official, said.