What is Ebola and why is stopping the latest outbreak so difficult?
An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been declared a public health emergency by the WHO. This outbreak is particularly challenging due to the rare Bundibugyo strain, which lacks an approved vaccine and is occurring in a conflict zone. The initial case was a nurse who died after spreading the virus, complicating efforts to contain the outbreak.
- ▪The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has not been seen for over a decade.
- ▪There is no approved vaccine for Bundibugyo, and experimental vaccines are still in development.
- ▪The first known case was a nurse who developed symptoms on April 24 and died shortly after.
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What is Ebola and why is stopping this outbreak so difficult?11 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleJames Gallagher,Health and science correspondent,Emery Makumeno,BBC Africa, KinshasaandHafsa KhalilGetty ImagesAn Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been declared a public health emergency of international concern, by the World Health Organization (WHO).Dealing with this outbreak is difficult as it involves a rare strain for which there is no vaccine and the cases have been found in an area affected by conflict.What is Ebola and what are the symptoms?Ebola is a rare but deadly disease caused by a virus.Ebola viruses normally infect animals, typically fruit bats, but outbreaks among humans can sometimes start when people eat or handle infected animals.It takes…
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