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 | | Thursday, 20 December, 2001, 16:17 GMT Ebola spreads to Congo  Ebola kills between 50% and 90% of those infected An ebola outbreak in the central African nation of Gabon has crossed into neighbouring Republic of Congo, despite health controls at the border to prevent the deadly virus from spreading.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said 11 cases had now been detected in the Congo. One of them is believed to be a woman who had been in Gabon, where she may have picked up the virus. Medical staff are trying to trace everyone who has had contact with any of the known victims and observing them for signs of the virus. More than 90 people are now being followed up in the Congo, and 134 are being traced in Gabon. The Congolese authorities had set up a 200 kilometre (120 mile) security cordon along the border in the hope of preventing the spread, and had assured its citizens that there was no cause for concern. Fresh outbreak Fifteen people have already died in northeast Gabon since the first case of the virus was reported earlier this month.
Health workers have set up an isolation unit in the town of Mekambo and launched an education programme for local village communities. Four villages have been put under quarantine. But there has been concern the deadly virus would spread further, as health workers say they are unable to stop villagers travelling in and out of the area. Diagnosis difficult The virus is passed through bodily fluids, such as mucus, saliva and blood. After four to 10 days of incubation, flu-like symptoms set in. These common complaints make an early diagnosis difficult. Eventually, the virus causes severe internal bleeding, vomiting and diarrhoea. There is no known cure for Ebola, a haemorrhagic fever, and between 50% and 90% of its victims bleed to death within days. Ebola was discovered in 1976 near the Ebola River in the DR Congo. | | See also:  Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Africa stories now:  Links to more Africa stories are at the foot of the page. | |||
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