An outbreak of the Ebola virus has been blamed for dozens of deaths in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, African health authorities said on May 15, 2026.
Ebola, which has killed more than 80 people in a fresh outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and one person in Uganda, has been wreaking havoc in Africa for 50 years now.
During that time it has claimed more than 15,000 lives, and despite the development of treatments and vaccines for some strains, it remains a lethal threat.
Here are the basic facts about the deadly virus.
The Ebola virus, or Orthoebolavirus zairense, to give it its full scientific name, was first identified in 1976 in DR Congo, then known as Zaire.
