Democratic Republic of the Congo might be on the verge of a new Ebola outbreak

A new Ebola outbreak has hit the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Health Organization announced Tuesday.

Two of five patients tested positive for the Ebola virus, revealing the country's ninth outbreak since the disease was identified in 1976. Congo's health ministry is collecting more specimens for testing.

The virus ravaged Sierra Leone, Liberia, and several other West African countries from 2013 to 2016, killing more than 11,000 people. It's been a year since a much smaller Ebola outbreak emerged in the Congo, and the WHO reported its end last July. Quick containment of the virus meant only four people died during the 2017 outbreak, and the WHO hopes to mimic that response again.

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