A new Ebola outbreak centred in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been rated "very high" risk by the World Health Organization, with the Bundibugyo strain — for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments — recording a mortality rate of 30–50 percent.
The outbreak, first confirmed on 15 May in Ituri province, has spread to South Kivu, North Kivu and neighbouring Uganda, which has reported its first three locally transmitted cases.
Conflict across eastern DRC is hampering containment efforts, while community distrust has complicated the response.
The WHO and Africa CDC have launched a six-month, $319m response plan covering surveillance, treatment and preparedness across ten high-risk countries.
Al Jazeera's Laura Khan explains.
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