E BOLA IS A  terrifying virus that kills 30-50% of the people it infects. Fortunately, the world has been getting better at fighting it. Since 2015 vaccines for Zaire, the most common Ebola strain, have limited its spread whenever hotspots emerged in Africa. Genetic sequencing of that strain has allowed rapid testing, which makes contact-tracing easier. African governments, helped by  NGO s, have learned how to triage and isolate patients. Crucially, they have also won the trust of locals, who are horrified by haemorrhagic fevers. But the latest Ebola outbreak is caused by a rarer strain, Bundibugyo, for which there is no licensed vaccine or rapid test. For months it swept undetected through eastern Congo. Aid cuts meant fewer health workers were watching out. De redactie van NRC selecteert de beste artikelen uit The Economist voor een breder perspectief op internationale politiek en economie.…