Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Geneva (Agenzia Fides) - So far five suspected cases of Ebola in the West Kasai region of Democratic Congo have been confirmed and another forty are awaiting results.
To test suspect cases and keep better control of the epidemic the World Health Organisation has decided to start a mobile laboratory testing service in Democratic Congo.
In fact after the Congolese health ministry had declared that 116 people had died of Ebola, WHO found that instead of the often fatal Ebola, the disease in question was fact the more easily treated Shigella
There exist various strains of the Ebola virus, the most lethal is Ebola-Zaire, found in Congo, which cannot be treated and which causes death in 90% of the cases.
Since 1976In all Africa, 1,850 registered cases of this lethal virus have caused the death of 1,200 people. (AP) (15/9/2007 Agenzia Fides; Righe:17; Parole:161)
