India, June 11 -- The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) saw an outbreak of Ebola last month, with a significant case count and rising death toll reported from the region. The United Nations declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern in the DRC and Uganda, and has amplified efforts to protect vulnerable groups, including children, from the severest consequences of the disease as observed in the past.
The Ebola virus (EBV) comes under the category of orthoebolaviruses, which also include the Sudan virus (SUDV) and the rare Tai Forest virus (TAFV). Scientists believe the disease may have jumped from the African fruit bat, which transmits viral bodies through bites to several wild animals. Tribal communities come into contact...