Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo

Two new cases of Ebola Virus Disease have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by government scientists there, prompting the UN health agency to immediately scale up its response. The new Ebola cases were identified on Tuesday in a remote area of the country's northwest, near the town of Bikoro, near the Congo River, UN News reported. In a statement, the World Health Organization said the two positive samples, out of five tested overall, had come from the Iponge health facility, located close to Bikoro, and additional specimens were being collected for further testing. WHO will adopt the strategy it successfully deployed following a similar Ebola outbreak last year, which included a timely alert by local authorities when new cases surface; prompt testing, immediate notification of results and a fast overall response by local and national authorities together with international partners.