[(Title)] Ebola: How a killer disease was stopped in its tracks.

One of the world's deadliest viruses, Ebola kills up to half of those it infects. But despite appearing to have all the hallmarks of a potential epidemic, the latest outbreak developed in a very different way.

世界卫生组织宣布最近爆发的疫情正式结束的好消息。

It was the ninth Ebola outbreak to hit the Democratic Republic of Congo in a decade, killing 29 people and leaving at least 60 children orphaned.

这是刚果十年来第九次爆发埃博拉疫情，造成29人死亡，至少60名儿童沦为孤儿。2014~2016年西非流行病造成超过11,000人死亡。

While one death is too many, the West Africa epidemic of 2014-16 claimed more than 11,000 lives and it is hoped that later this week the most recent outbreak will be declared officially over by the World Health Organization.

The relatively small number of deaths follows the use of an experimental vaccine, which may have saved hundreds, or even thousands of lives.

由于使用了一种试验性疫苗，本次死亡人数相对较少，这个疫苗可能挽救了数百甚至数千人的生命。虽然疫情始于一个偏远地区，但大量患者遭遇感染的危险依然存在。它似乎靠近邻近的中非共和国和刚果共和国，这是一个巨大的地区，人口急剧下降，人口流动，医疗系统脆弱。它也是一个由河流和道路连接首都金沙萨的地区，那里有1000万人。

Although the outbreak began in a remote area, there was a real danger that large numbers could be infected.

It appeared close to neighbouring Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo - a vast area with a great ebb and flow of people and a fragile health system.

It is also an area linked by river and road to the capital Kinshasa - home to 10 million people.

The vaccine used, known as rVSV-ZEBOV was already in development during the 2014-16 epidemic. But by the time its effectiveness had been proven, the outbreak was already waning.

所使用的疫苗，即rVSV-ZEBOV，在2014-16流行期间已经在开发中。但到其有效性得到证实时，疫情已经逐渐减少。

When the virus returned in 2018, it could be quickly deployed, once the DRC government had approved its experimental use. This vaccine is designed for use against the Zaire strain of Ebola, which caused both this outbreak and the previous one.

一旦刚果民主共和国政府批准其实验用途，当病毒在2018年再度爆发时，当地就可以迅速部署，采用疫苗控制。这种疫苗设计用于对抗埃博拉的扎伊尔病毒株，这种疫苗引发了这次疫情和前一次爆发。

Scientists and health workers set to work tracking all potential transmissions since the first case had been reported.

自第一起病例报告以来，科学家和保健工作者已着手追踪所有可能的传播情况。前线医务人员、与已确认的埃博拉病例有接触的人及其联系人都需要接种疫苗。

Front-line health workers, people in contact with confirmed Ebola cases, and their contacts all needed to be given the vaccine.

However, keeping the vaccine safe and making sure it reached the right people was not a straightforward task.

但是，要想保证疫苗安全并确保它到达正确的人群并非易事。疫苗必须保持极度寒冷，保持在零下70C。但是，要想保证疫苗安全并确保它到达正确的人群并非易事。疫苗必须保持极度低温，保持在零下70摄氏度。因此，必须建立隔离和治疗设施，建立流动实验室，培训当地实验室技术员，以测试埃博拉病例和确诊情况。

The vaccine must be kept extremely cold, at minus 70C.

This is difficult and expensive to do in a remote environment with unreliable electricity. Alongside the vaccine, fridges and generators had to be flown into the region by helicopter.

Isolation and treatment facilities had to be built, mobile laboratories set up and local laboratory technicians trained to test samples and confirm cases of Ebola.

For the vaccine to be effective, it had to be given to the right people.

要使疫苗有效，就必须给合适的人。卫生工作者与患者，他们的家人和更广泛的社区交谈，以消除谣言，建立信任并避免恐慌。

Health workers spoke to patients, their families and the wider community to dispel rumours, build trust and avoid panic.