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Two soldiers in eastern DRC have died after catching the Ebola virus during an epidemic that killed hundreds of people in the region, army sources said Tuesday. the health.
"Two of our soldiers died of the Ebola virus in Beni, three others are under observation," Major Mak Hazukay, an army spokesman, told AFP.
"All measures have been taken to prevent troops from being contaminated," he added.
The death of the soldiers brings to 459 the total number of deaths recorded, according to official figures, and underlines the challenge of controlling the epidemic in the east of the country torn by conflict.
Dr. Michel Tosalisa, responsible for the affected area of Beni, confirmed that two soldiers were among the latest victims of Ebola.
In eastern and northern DRC, 682 confirmed cases of Ebola have been registered and 54 probable cases, the Ministry of Health announced Monday.
Of the 459 registered Ebola deaths, 405 were confirmed and 54 were probable.
The doctors managed to save 257 people, the ministry said.
The DRC, formerly Zaire, has been affected by 10 epidemics of highly contagious haemorrhagic disease since its identification in 1976 near the Ebola River in the north-west of the country.
The last outbreak was declared on 1 August in the Beni region, a major settlement in North Kivu, and quickly spread to the neighboring province of Ituri.
The presidential elections of December 30 were canceled in the region, partly because of the epidemic.
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