United Nations Radio

In the DRC, nine people have died and more than 90 are infected as a result of an outbreak of a suspected haemorrhagic fever in Kasai Occidental.

Congolese Family

According to medical personnel, the outbreak occurred in the health zone of Mweka, where a confirmed outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever killed several villagers in 2007.

Edmond Mulamba, the Kasai Occidental provincial health inspector, said "there are signs that could be associated with haemorrhagic fever but they have to wait for laboratory results to confirm this because there is also a gastro-enteritis outbreak in the area."
He said those infected had symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pains and eventually developed vomiting and diarrhoea.

An official of Médecins sans Frontières (MSF-Belgium), François Dumont, said the cause of death would be confirmed once the results of blood and stool samples sent to laboratories in Kinshasa, Gabon and South Africa had been received.

A five-member team from MSF's Congo Emergency Team, based in Kinshasa, had been deployed to Kasai Occidental to respond to the outbreak.

Donn Bobb, United Nations Radio

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