Angolan Health Minister Sebastiao Veloso said Thursday that the epidemic of Marburg hemorrhagic fever that has claimed 159 lives since it erupted six months ago remains "exclusively confined" to one province and the mortality rate is decreasing.

Veloso said "due to the great effort of all levels of society" the epidemic that broke out last October continued limited to the northern province of Uige, though a few people infected there had died elsewhere, including in Luanda.

"The mortality rate that was of nearly 100 percent when the epidemic started is decreasing," the minister added, saying it wascurrently at about 80 percent.

Official figures released Thursday said 159 people had died from the hemorrhagic fever out of a total of 181 cases registered so far.

According to the source, those infected are adults (aged over 15 years), representing 17 percent and children (from zero to 14 years), 62 percent.

No cases were recorded in northern Malanje province, but the health authorities are awaiting samples sent for laboratory testing, adds the same source.

Luanda has not recorded any case, but also reports suspected cases that are being investigated.

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2005)