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Ebola fever strikes DRC

KINSHASA - Two people have died from suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, bringing to 172 the total number of victims over the past four months.

KINSHASA - Two people have died from suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, bringing to 172 the total number of victims over the past four months.

"We have registered two deaths this week among the sick in Kampungu," said provincial health minister Fortunat Ntumba.

Officials said there were 381 cases of either Ebola or shigellosis in the region. Ebola kills between 50 percent and 90 percent of those infected. For shigellosis, the mortality rate is about 40 percent.

Ebola is an incurable disease characterised by massive internal bleeding, while the Shigella strand of infectious dysentery is treatable by antibiotics.

Ebola has killed about 452 people in the DRC since 1976. - Sapa-AFP

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