Etoumbi is a town in the

Cuvette-Ouest Cuvette-Ouest (or Western Cuvette) is a Departments of the Republic of the Congo, department of the Republic of the Congo in the western part of the country. Cuvette-Ouest is the least populated department in the country. It borders the departmen ...

department of northwestern

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo), is a country located on the western coast of Central ...

. It is the seat of the

Etoumbi District Etoumbi is a district in the Cuvette-Ouest Department of Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Democr ...

. Most of its residents make their living hunting in the local forest. Etoumbi has been the site of four recent outbreaks of the

Ebola Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically start anywhere between two days and three weeks after in ...

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are ...

, believed to have sparked by local villagers eating the flesh of animals that are found dead in the forest. In 2003, 120 people died in an outbreak. An outbreak in May 2005 led to the

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals, and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have bee ...

of the town.

References

External links

{{wikinews, Ebola outbreak in Congo
Congo's Ebola town is sealed off

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, May 20, 2005
8 dead with Ebola-like symptoms in Congo

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

, May 12, 2005 Populated places in the Republic of the Congo