Guinea confirms epidemic that has killed 34 is deadly Ebola virus

Guinea identified the Ebola virus yesterday as the source of a highly contagious epidemic raging through its southern forests, as the death toll rose to 34.

Experts in the west African nation had been unable to identify the disease, whose symptoms - diarrhoea, vomiting and bleeding - were first observed six weeks ago, but scientists in France confirmed it was Ebola, the Guinean health ministry said.

"We got the first results from Lyons [on Friday] which informed us of the presence of the Ebola virus as the cause of this outbreak," Sakoba Keita, the ministry's chief disease prevention officer, said. "Up to today we have identified 49 cases with 34 deaths in four prefectures."

No treatment or vaccine is available for Ebola, which kills up to 90 per cent of those who contract it, depending on the strain of the virus, according to the World Health Organisation.

The disease is transmitted by direct contact with blood, faeces or sweat, or by sexual contact or unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.

Medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said it would strengthen its team of 24 doctors, nurses, logisticians and experts in hygiene and sanitation already in Guinea.