Johannesburg — The Minister of Health for the Democratic Republic of Congo, Samuel Roger Kamba, confirmed last week an outbreak of the highly infectious Zaire strain of Ebola virus disease in the country's Central Kasai Province. He said 16 deaths and 28 suspected cases had been confirmed, including four suspected infections among health care workers.

World Health Organization regional director for Africa Mohamed Janabi said the first case, known as the index case, was a "34-year-old pregnant woman who was admitted on August 20 and passed away on August 25 with typical features for hemorrhagic fever; bloody diarrhea, bleeding from the nose, vomiting, and bleeding from the rectum."

The Ebola virus is transmitted to humans through close contact with infected wildlife, often bats, and can

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