An outbreak of Ebola fever in the Democratic Republic of Congo may have killed up to 36 people, out of 81 suspected cases, according to a new death toll released by the health ministry on Monday.

The ministry said that 20 confirmed cases have been recorded, as well as 32 likely and 29 suspected as of September 29.

They said that among the 36 deaths, 10 were confirmed to have been a direct result of the killer virus.

They also said that the number of people under observation had risen to 216 since the outbreak was first reported in mid-August in the eastern Orientale province.

The vast majority of cases were reported in and around the town of Isiro.

DR Congo has recorded eight outbreaks of Ebola, one of the world's most virulent diseases, since the virus was first reported near a river that gave it its name in 1976.