The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Bikoro in Equateur Province on Tuesday, WHO confirmed. The outbreak declaration occurred after laboratory occurred after laboratory results confirmed two cases of EVD, with 10 more cases suspected. The Ministry of Health of Democratic of the Congo (DRC) informed WHO that two out of five samples collected from five patients tested positive for EVD at the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale (INRB) in Kinhasa. It’s the ninth time Ebola has been recorded in DRC, whose rive gave the deadly virus its name when it was first discovered in the 1970s.

Before the outbreak was confirmed, local health officials reported 21 patients showing signs of hemorrhagic fever around the village of Ikoko Impenge, near the town of Bikoro. 17 people have reportedly been declared dead, the health ministry said on Tuesday. “Our country is facing another epidemic of the Ebola virus which constitutes an international public health emergency,” the ministry said in a statement. “We still dispose of the well-trained human resources that were able to rapidly control previous epidemics.” It said.

“Our top priority is to get bikoro to work alongside the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and partners to reduce the loss of life and suffering related to this new Ebola virus disease outbreak,” said Dr. Peter Salama, WHO Deputy Director-General, Emergency Preparedness and Response. “Working with partners and responding early and in a co-ordinated way will be vital to containing this deadly disease.”

Ebola is believed to be spread over long distances by bats which can host the virus without dying as it infects other animals it shares trees with, such as monkeys. It often spreads to humans via infected bushmeat. The worst Ebola epidemic in history ended in West Africa just two years ago after killing more than 11,300 people and infected some 28,600 as it rolled through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 09, 2018 10:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).