Seventeen deaths reported in Congo as Ebola outbreak confirmed

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Local health officials in Democratic Republic of Congo reported 21 patients showing signs of hemorrhagic fever and 17 deaths in the affected area before an Ebola outbreak was confirmed on Tuesday, the health ministry said.

Medical teams dispatched to the zone took five samples from suspected active cases and two tested positive for the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus, the ministry said in a statement.

(Reporting by Fiston Mahamba; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Gareth Jones)