Ebola kills 11 in Congo

At least 11 people have died from Ebola in a village in the west of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the health minister.

A total of 35 people are infected with the haemorrhagic fever in the village of Kaluemba, where there was an outbreak last November, August Mopipi said.

Ebola is transmitted when a person comes into contact with the blood or secretions of someone with the virus.

It results in diahorrea and vomiting blood and in 50 to 90 per cent of cases it is fatal.

There is no vaccine or approved treatment for the fever, which killed 187 people in the region last year.

Laboratory tests conducted by Congo's National Institute of Biomedical Research confirmed Ebola in 11 cases, but only two have been reported to the World Health Organization, reported AP.

Neighbouring villages were also at risk and people were being warned to avoid all contact with human fluid.

This is the latest blow for the authorities in DR Congo, which are currently dealing with attacks from rebel forces, with the BBC reporting 400 deaths in a "Christmas massacre".

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