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Congo To Treat People With Experimental Ebola Vaccine Early This Week

Congo's health ministry says 26 people have died and that 46 cases of hemorrhagic fever have been reported in the region.

By: Katie Cammarata

Posted at 12:59 PM, May 20, 2018

and last updated 2018-05-20 12:59:03-04

Congo will start treating people in the country with an experimental Ebola vaccine early this week.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is dealing with its ninth Ebola outbreak since the virus was discovered there in 1976.

Congo's health ministry said Saturday that 26 people have died and that 46 cases of hemorrhagic fever have been reported in the region. Twenty-one of those cases have been confirmed as Ebola.

To help control the outbreak, the World Health Organization shipped 4,000 doses of an experimental but reportedly highly effective Ebola vaccine. WHO says a major challenge will be keeping the vaccine stored at a certain temperature long-term.

On Wednesday, the country's health ministry confirmed its first urban case of Ebola in the large city of Mbandaka.

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.