Unrecognised Ebola virus infection in contact persons: what can we learn from it?

The epidemic of Ebola virus disease in west Africa in 2014–16 was the largest and most complex the world has ever seen. The four pillars of Ebola response include: case management, case finding and contact tracing, safe and dignified burial, and social mobilisation and community engagement. These four pillars are being implemented in the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is further complicated by its location in a conflict zone.1 Increased understanding of disease pathogenesis and the evaluation of novel therapeutics and vaccine candidates has informed current control measures, while access to survivors and their contacts in west Africa has also provided a unique opportunity to research filovirus transmission.