Congo re-opens airport at centreairport at centre of Ebola outbreak
Democratic Republic of Congo reopened the airport in the capital of the province hardest hit by its Ebola outbreak on June 2, reversing a shutdown that had disrupted supplies and movement.
The outbreak, which health officials say is the country's 17th and involves the Bundibugyo strain, has drawn a World Health Organization emergency declaration and makes access to the area a key part of the response.
- Ebola was first identified in 1976, near rivers in what are now Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The Bundibugyo strain was named after a district in western Uganda, where it was first detected.
- Airports can become vital during outbreaks because they control both aid deliveries and patient transfers.
