Ebola started in DR Congo earlier and officials are playing catch-up, WHO warns - BBC
The World Health Organization warns that the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo was misdiagnosed for months, allowing it to spread further. Health authorities are struggling to contain the virus due to regional insecurity and community distrust.
Why it matters
Delayed detection and containment efforts have led to nearly 2,000 deaths, highlighting the challenges of managing infectious disease in conflict zones.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Damian Zane Reuters Health workers need to be fully protected as the virus can spread from touching bodily fluids. The latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began at least three months before it was officially declared - meaning the health authorities are still playing catch-up, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
More than 1,900 people have died from the virus since that declaration on 15 May, making this the second-worst Ebola outbreak ever.
Infection rates are still high, adding to the concern that the authorities are struggling to get to grips with the spread of the disease.
The epicentre of this outbreak of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, is in the east of DR Congo where insecurity has hampered control efforts.
There is also no approved vaccine or any recognised therapeutic drugs, making treating Bundibugyo harder.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in