DR Congo Ebola Outbreak: At least 25 deaths being investigated; 45 cases reported
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In the Democratic Republic of the Congo where Ebola case has been confirmed in a large city in the northwest of the country. The World Health Organization says its risk assessment for the country has been raised to "very high". Our Robert Nagila is on the ground in DR Congo and has the latest.
The latest figures indicate at least 45 people are believed to have been infected in the latest outbreak with 25 deaths now under investigation.
ROBERT NAGILA GOMA, DR CONGO "Cases emerged in a rural area in the north-west of the country with one now confirmed in the city of Mbandaka."
TARIK JASAREVIC WHO SPOKESPERSON "Now that we have this confirmed case in Mbandaka, WHO reassessed the risk of spread and said that the risk of spread at a national level is very high and it is high at a regional level and international level remains low. This is because Mbandaka is a city that is connected to Kinshasa by the air traffic and it is also on the 'fleuve', on the river."
On Wednesday more than 4,000 doses of an experimental vaccine sent by the WHO arrived in Kinshasa, with more expected soon. The vaccine is unlicensed but was effective in limited trials during the West Africa outbreak.
ROBERT NAGILA GOMA, DR CONGO "WHO says health workers have identified 430 people who may have had contact with the disease and were working to trace over 4,000 contacts of Ebola patients. ROBERT NAGILA, Goma, DR Congo."