This new outbreak is the ninth to have been recorded since 1976 when the virus was first identified and – as was practice at the time – named after the location where this first outbreak took place, southern Sudan.
Although we lack vital tools such as effective vaccines and drugs, contact tracing and appropriate infection control can contain serious outbreaks such as these.
The Sudan and Ebola viruses both come from the orthoebola virus family.
Laboratory testing is needed to differentiate between the diseases, though the urgent need for isolation remains.
These referrals typically happened in October, and the outbreak was declared over by the end of November 2022.
