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There's A New Ebola Outbreak In Central Africa

Eleven suspected cases of the Ebola virus have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

By: Ethan Weston

Posted at 12:33 PM, May 14, 2017

and last updated 2017-05-14 12:33:32-04

The Democratic Republic of Congo is dealing with a new Ebola outbreak.

News of the outbreak traveled slowly since it's in a remote region of the country. So far there are 11 suspected cases, including three deaths. One case has been confirmed.

Ebola spreads from person to person via direct contact with body fluids or with other mammals that are also infected — such as bats, monkeys and apes. The disease has a mortality rate around 50 percent.

The World Health Organization says it's working with local authorities to best combat the spread of the virus.

There are 12 vaccines in development that might work against the Ebola virus, but none of them have had large-scale testing. WHO thinks this outbreak might be a good chance to test at least one of them.

The last Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed 49 people in 2014.