Recent Ebola cases were from contact with gorilla

The recent cases of Ebola fever in Gabon resulted from contact with a gorilla whose remains were found to be positive for the virus when tested at the Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Tuesday.

In its latest update, WHO said the cases were reported in villages north of Mekambo in the northern Ogooue-Invindo province. No cases had been reported in the area since February.

In total 65 confirmed cases including 53 deaths have so far been reported by the Gabonese Ministry of Health.

In nearby Republic of Congo, 32 cases including 20 deaths had been reported as at 29 March in Mbomo district, in the western Cuvette region while 23 deaths were reported in Kelle district. No indication of further disease activity was found in Mbomo.

The current outbreak began in December 2001 and has mainly affected the Mekambo area, 600 km east of Libreville, and districts across the border in neighbouring Republic of Congo.

Ebola is a haemorrhagic fever transmitted through direct contact with body fluids of infected persons or other primates. There is no cure and between 50 percent and 90 percent of victims die.