An Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed at least 15 people, further straining health services in the country.
The virus, which is spread by bodily fluids, is endemic in animal populations in Central and West Africa, and there are periodic outbreaks. The largest, originating in Guinea in 2014, killed over 11,000 people, and another in 2018 killed a further 2,000; other flare-ups have died away more quickly.
The DRC is already struggling — its healthcare system is weak, and there is a civil war raging in the east. Approximately 50% of people infected with Ebola die of the extensive hemorrhaging the disease causes, although that figure varies widely depending on the strain and the available medical care.
