Ebola death toll up to 31 in Congo
GOMA, Congo (AP) – The United Nations says that an outbreak of the Ebola virus has killed 31 people in northeastern Congo, more than doubling the death toll from a week ago.
The U.N. World Health Organization said Friday that there have been 69 cases in all including nine confirmed by a lab.
The Ebola virus has no cure and is deadly in 40 percent to 90 percent of cases. The disease causes severe internal bleeding.
A review of earlier cases has shown that 31 people have died since the beginning of the epidemic in May 2012. More than half of the deaths occurred before August 17, when the Ebola outbreak was officially declared by medical authorities.
Congo has had eight previous Ebola epidemics the first discovery of the virus in 1976.
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