What is Ebola and why is stopping this outbreak so difficult?

An outbreak of Ebola in DR Congo involves a rare strain and is in an area affected by conflict.

Health officials express concern over the Ebola outbreak involving the rare Bundibugyo strain, which lacks a vaccine and is spreading in densely populated, mobile, and conflict-affected regions, particularly in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and South Sudan.

A new Ebola outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and now spreading to Uganda has rapidly escalated into a global concern, with over 500 suspected cases and 130 deaths. The outbreak is driven by the Bundibugyo strain, which is harder to detect and has no approved treatments or vaccines.