2 People Have Died of Ebola in DR Congo, 'Nothing to Do With' West Africa Epidemic: Minister

KINSHASA, Congo — Two Ebola-related deaths have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the country's health minister said Sunday, although local officials believe the cases are unrelated to the outbreak in West Africa that has killed more than 1,400 people.

Eight samples were taken from Djera, located in the Boende region of the Congo's northwest Equateur province, and two of them came back positive, Felix Kabange Numbi said on state television Sunday. "I declare an Ebola epidemic in the region of Djera, in the territory of Boende in the province of Equateur," he told a news conference, according to Reuters. Kabange Numbi added that one case tested positive for the Sudanese strain of Ebola, while the other was combination of the Sudanese and the Zaire strain, which is highly lethal, Reuters reported. Read more...

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