Kinshasa, May 19 (IANS) Around 131 suspected deaths and 513 suspected cases have been reported in the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba said Tuesday.

Speaking at a special briefing in Kinshasa after returning from the affected area, Kamba said the deaths were recorded in the affected zones but cautioned that not all were necessarily caused by Ebola.

“These are suspected deaths, and investigations are underway to determine which are actually linked to the disease,” he said.

Congolese health authorities declared a new Ebola outbreak in the eastern province of Ituri on May 15, the country’s 17th since 1976. Cases have also been confirmed in the neighbouring North Kivu province, said Kamba, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which is considered less deadly than the Zaire strain, adding that the DRC has extensive experience responding to Ebola.

On Sunday, the World Health Organisation declared the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.

International spread has already been documented, with two confirmed cases reported in Kampala, Uganda, on May 15 and 16 following travel from the DRC. Both confirmed cases were admitted to intensive care units in Kampala, said the organisation on Sunday.

Neighbouring countries, including Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania, have stepped up surveillance, border screening and emergency preparedness measures.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday declared the latest Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda as a public health emergency of continental security.

The border between Rwanda and the DRC in the former’s Rubavu District was closed on Sunday following the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, an official said.

Ebola virus is highly contagious and can cause symptoms including fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, generalised pain or malaise, and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.

According to the WHO, Ebola fatality rates range from 50 per cent to 89 per cent, depending on the viral subtype.

–IANS

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