The new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is becoming one of the most difficult public health emergencies to contain in years, not because Ebola is new to the region, but because this version of the crisis combines numerous factors that health officials fear.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern this week, saying Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in Congo and Uganda requires an urgent international response. It does not currently meet the WHO definition of a pandemic emergency.