What to know about the outbreak of a rare kind of Ebola

ABUJA, Nigeria -- An Ebola outbreak in Congo has surpassed 5,000 confirmed cases, making it one of the largest outbreaks of the deadly disease ever recorded.The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare type of Ebola that has no approved vaccine or treatment. Congo’s Ministry of Health had recorded 5,021 cases, including 2,378 deaths, as of Sunday.The outbreak is already the worst ever caused by the Bundibugyo virus and the deadliest Ebola outbreak in Congo’s history. The World Health Organization has warned that it could eventually surpass the devastating 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people.Here’s what to know about Ebola and the outbreak:Ebola is a rare but often deadly disease caused by a group of viruses that are believed to originate in animals.People can become infected through contact with infected animals, and the virus can then spread between people through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of someone who is sick with or has died from Ebola. It can also spread through objects contaminated with those fluids.Unlike respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola isn't generally spread through the air.People infecte...