KINSHASA—A meningitis outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s northeastern Tshopo province has killed 129 of the 267 people who have been infected since the first cases were discovered in June, the health minister said late on Tuesday. Tests carried out by the Institut Pasteur in Paris detected one of the most common types of the bacteria, Neisseria meningitides, which has the potential to cause large epidemics, the World Health Organization said. An investigation in early June near Panga, around 270 kilometers (167 miles) north of the city of Kisangani, found patients suffering from fever, headaches, stiff neck, and difficulty speaking, said health minister, Jean-Jacques Mbungani. Meningitis is transmitted by kissing, sneezing, or coughing on someone, or living in close quarters with an infected person. People of all ages can catch the disease, but it mainly affects babies, children, and young people. “We are moving fast, delivering medicines, and deploying …