Bats, borders and bushmeat: why Ebola keeps flaring in the DRC

Public-health researcher James Baguma explains that the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the DRC is likely driven by bat-to-human spillover in a landscape of intense wildlife–people interaction—hunting, bushmeat markets, and bats entering homes—coupled with porous borders and cross-border movement with Uganda. Reducing risk hinges on trusted local leaders and women’s groups delivering locally resonant messages about safer practices around bats and wildlife contact.