The Ebola virus which was first detected in 1976 in Congo is a deadly virus. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, a measles-like rash, red eyes and, at times, bleeding from body openings and ultimately leading to death.
The Ebola virus has killed 10 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. As of Monday, WHO said, the deaths are among 13 probable and two confirmed Ebola cases reported in Orientale province in eastern Congo.
The Congolese Ministry of Health has set up a task force to deal with the outbreak and is working with WHO, UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Twelve cases and eight deaths occurred in the area of Isiro, a town in Congo's north, WHO said. The fatalities included three health care workers. One death each occurred in Congo's Pawa and Dungu regions. Congo's Orientale province borders western Uganda, where 24 probable and confirmed cases, including 16 deaths, have been reported since the beginning of July. But WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told CNN that there's no connection between the outbreaks in Uganda and Congo. The viruses, he said, are two different Ebola strains. There are five strains of the virus, a highly infectious and often fatal agent spread through direct contact with bodily fluids
WHO has asked countries bordering Uganda to "enhance surveillance" for the virus
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