Congo says Ebola cases have reached 30, warns against rumours

Congo's Ministry of Health said today the number of confirmed Ebola cases has reached 30, including 8 deaths in the 3 affected health zones in the country's Equateur province.

The ministry gave the toll after surveillance teams in the capital, Kinshasa, were deployed along the Congo River to monitor people coming in there.

Health brigades have also been set up at various entry points to Kinshasa and other cities as part of prevention, said the World Health Organisation's Congo representative Allarangar Yakouide.

"We want to ensure that ports and airports are effectively protected," he said.

A wave of panic hit Kinshasa yesterday, after rumours of an Ebola case admitted to the Kinshasa General Hospital.

But Yakouide quickly denied it, saying that no cases are confirmed in the capital. He warned against spreading false reports which "could create panic and undermine the effectiveness of the response to the Ebola outbreak."
"Our relatives in Mbandaka have informed us that Ebola is in Bikoro, but here in Kinshasa, we do not have recorded cases, not even."
Dr Peter Salama, WHO emergencies chief warned yesterday that "The next few weeks will really tell if this outbreak is going to expand to urban areas or if we're going to be able to keep it under control."