The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared a new outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus on Thursday. This outbreak comes three years after its last one, with health officials saying there were now 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths.

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The health ministry of the DRC said samples tested on Wednesday had confirmed the presence of the Zaire strain of the virus. The World Health Organization (WHO), the world’s global health body, added that case numbers were likely to increase as transmission was ongoing, accoridng to a report by Reuters. 

Response teams are looking for those who may have been infected and are attempting to slow the spread of this deadly disease.

DR Congo had a “stockpile of treatments”, including 2,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, “effective to protect against this type of Ebola”, the global health body said.

The virus, which is thought to have originated in fruit bats, was first detected in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now DR Congo.

People are infected when they have direct contact through broken skin, or the mouth and nose, with the blood, vomit, faeces or bodily fluids of someone with Ebola. –BBC

This will be the 16th outbreak of the deadly virus in the vast central African state that has poor health services, and is hit by conflict in the east.

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It will deliver two tons of supplies, including mobile laboratory equipment and medical supplies.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Orthoebolaviruses can cause serious and often deadly disease, with a mortality rate as high as 80 to 90 percent. Outbreaks are found primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.

Ebola disease symptoms appear 2 to 21 days after someone is exposed to the virus. “Dry” symptoms, like fever and weakness, occur first and can progress to “wet” symptoms, like diarrhea and vomiting. Ebola disease survivors may suffer from long-term complications, such as tiredness, headaches, muscle and joint pain, and eye and vision problems.