At least 59 people were reported killed by the Ebola virus in Guinea, where health officials say the outbreak has reached epidemic proportions, a news report said Sunday, according to dpa. Guinea's Ministry of Health registered almost 100 infections since the virus was first reported last month, according to Radio France Internationale. The southern districts Macenta and Gueckedou, which border Sierra Leone, had been particularly affected by the outbreak, said Dr. Sakoba Keita, the chief of the health ministry's prevention unit. Three of 12 virus samples sent to France had been confirmed as Ebola, according to Keita. Ebola is one of the most contagious viral diseases known, often resulting in death. The virus cannot be prevented with a vaccine and is untreatable with medication.
