The Democratic Republic of Congo is once again battling an Ebola outbreak, but this time health authorities are facing a particularly difficult challenge.
The virus is spreading through the country's conflict-ridden east, where insecurity, population displacement, weak healthcare infrastructure and the absence of an approved vaccine have complicated efforts to contain the disease.
Ebola, a highly infectious virus transmitted through close contact with infected individuals and bodily fluids, can cause severe hemorrhagic fever and has claimed more than 15,000 lives across Africa over the past five decades.
Experts warn that the latest outbreak could become one of the region's most difficult public health emergencies in recent years.
A silent spread before detection
