South Africa, May 21 -- Scientists at Stellenbosch University's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) are leading rapid efforts to support understanding and containment of the Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda.

Outbreak timeline The WHO and the Africa CDC declared the outbreak a public health emergency, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated regional and global action.

The outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine, has alarmed experts because it went undetected for so long while spreading across a densely populated area, making it difficult to trace and isolate the contacts of infected individuals.

Reuters reports that the WHO had previously pointed to "a critical four-week detection gap" betwe...