New Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO — The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has confirmed the deaths of five individuals who were infected with Ebola.<br /><br />Citing authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations Children's Fund reports that a new Ebola outbreak has occurred in the country's city of Mbandaka. This is the eleventh outbreak in the country since the virus's discovery in 1976.<br /><br />Nine individuals are reported to have been infected. Five of them have died. The individuals died between the 18th and 30th of May but were confirmed to be Ebola-related yesterday.<br /><br />The virus's incubation period lasts from 2 to 21 days. Symptoms of the Ebola virus include fever, headache, muscle pain and fatigue. These symptoms are followed up by vomiting and diarrhea.<br /><br />Ebola is passed on by human-to-human transmission. Individuals can be infected if they come in contact with sweat, mucous, saliva, blood, or other body fluids of infected people.