JOHANNESBURG - The World Health Organization has declared an international health emergency over a rare strain of Ebola.
It's believed that more than 80 people have died in eastern DRC, with close to 300 suspected cases.
The global body has stopped short of calling the outbreak a pandemic.
The DRC Health Ministry is concerned that it has a very high lethality rate, with no vaccine or specific treatment.
Health officials met in Kinshasa this week to discuss an emergency response.
It's the 17th Ebola outbreak to hit DR Congo, and officials are warning of a high risk of spread.
The disease is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids and causes bleeding and organ failure.