The new Ebola epidemic in DR Congo will be one of the worst in history
The Ebola epidemic that has started in the Iturbe province, in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, will not be like the previous ones. Only 36 hours after the first cases were known, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the highest level of alert that the WHO can declare. Three reasons explain why this epidemic is on track to become the second largest in history: the spread of cases, the region’s difficulty in responding, and the species of virus involved.