Since mid-May, an Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain has killed 999 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and two people in Uganda. This event has been declared the fastest Ebola outbreak in history.
The fatality rate for this latest outbreak is far higher than in previous instances. Currently, there are no vaccines or treatments available for this new strain of the virus.
Healthcare workers operating in Congo have encountered physical assault, unpaid labor, and local resistance. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization warns that the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times larger than official figures indicate.