Guinea reports first Ebola cases since 2016

Guinea has reported first Ebola virus cases in a possible resurgence of the disease ever since the world's worst outbreak in 2013-16.

Three people have died of Ebola, and another five have tested positive for the virus in southeastern Guinea, the state health agency said.

The five still alive have been isolated in treatment centres, the agency ANSS said on Sunday.

The patients fell ill with diarrhoea, vomiting and bleeding after attending a burial in Goueke sub-prefecture. 

It was not clear if the person buried on February 1 - a nurse at the local health centre who had fallen ill - had also died of Ebola.

The last major outbreak of Ebola in West Africa started in Guinea. It went on to kill at least 11,300 people with the vast majority of cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Guinea will now reportedly contact the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international health agencies to acquire Ebola vaccines. The vaccines have greatly improved survival rates in recent years.

The Ebola virus causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea and is spread through contact with body fluids.

Congo reported three new Ebola cases this month in one of the epicentres of that epidemic in eastern North Kivu province.

(with inputs)