DRC confirms 2 cases of Ebola

By Fatih Erel

GENEVA (AA) - The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has confirmed two cases of the Ebola virus in the northwestern town of Bikoro, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

"WHO is working closely with the government of the DRC to rapidly scale up its operations and mobilize health partners using the model of a successful response to a similar Ebola virus disease outbreak in 2017," the WHO said in a statement.

"Our top priority is to get to Bikoro to work alongside the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and partners to reduce the loss of life and suffering related to this new Ebola virus disease outbreak,” WHO Deputy Director-General, Emergency Preparedness and Response Peter Salama said.

This is DRC’s ninth Ebola outbreak since the discovery of the virus in the country in 1976.

Ebola caused global alarm in 2014 when the world's worst outbreak began in West Africa, killing more than 11,300 people and infecting an estimated 28,600 as it swept through Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.