More than 200 people died in a previous outbreak in Kikwit
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An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been confirmed by the World Health Organization in Kasai province.
At least 166 people have died and WHO says it is aware of 372 other cases.
Specialist laboratories in Gabon and Atlanta in the US confirmed Ebola from blood samples, saying they also showed the presence of Shigella dysentery.
Ebola is highly contagious. People contracting the disease suffer severe stomach pain and internal bleeding.
The fatality rate for Ebola, which has no known cure, is as high as 90%.
WHO and Medecins sans Frontieres have despatched medical personnel to help the Congolese contain the outbreak.
An emergency response team of clinicians, water and sanitation experts and logisticians is on the way to organise clinical care and establish appropriate isolation facilities.
clipped from: news.bbc.co.uk