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Democratic Republic of Congo has confirmed a case of Ebola on
its border with Uganda, a country so far clear of the deadly
virus, authorities in Congo said on Friday.
The new infection is almost 200 km (125 miles) away from the
nearest other known case in Congo‘s current Ebola outbreak,
which is believed to have killed 97 people since July and
infected another 46 in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
Ituri province’s Vice Governor Keta Upar said in a statement
that the latest Ebola case had been reported in Tchomia on the
shores of Lake Albert. It is the closest the disease has come to
Uganda, Congo‘s eastern neighbour.
Uganda’s health ministry said on Thursday it was preparing
to deploy vaccinations against the virus should it spread to its
territory.
Congo has experienced 10 outbreaks of Ebola since it was
discovered in the country’s forested north in 1976. The disease
causes haemmorhagic fever, vomiting and diarrhea and kills about
half of the people it infects.
Health officials have made progress slowing the spread of
the virus with experimental vaccines and treatments. But
violence and turmoil in eastern Congo has made some areas
difficult to access.
Dozens have been killed in ethnic clashes between groups in
Djugu territory where Tchomia is located, with thousands
crossing into Uganda to escape the violence.
Also read: UK issues travel advice on Kenya over Ebola in Congo
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