 One of the deadliest diseases on the planet has been recurring in Central Africa since the 1970s, ever more frequently. It was first identified near the eponymous Ebola River and kills 30 to 80% of those it infects. Ebola can never be eradicated. It's endemic in animals of the forests of Central Africa, in most of which it causes no symptoms. People may come into contact with blood, urine or saliva of animals in the forest or whilst hunting. But the main hosts are thought to be bats, which are often eaten as bushmeat. From them, the virus spreads between people through bodily fluids. Initially, we humans experience flu-like symptoms as the virus evades the immune system, preventing immune cells identifying it. Without these immune guards, the virus can enter many cells and replicate rapidly whilst the body is defenseless. The virus damages many types of cell when it invades, including those in the liver which control blood clotting. The body is overwhelmed, with the virus triggering a strong immune response inducing uncontrolled inflammation. This causes many tiny blood vessels to leak. Because the blood can't clot, when these vessels leak, bleeding results, internally and sometimes externally, from the eyes, ears and nose. This loss of blood and widespread damage to cells stops the body's vital organs working. The only way to survive is to keep the organs functioning by replacing lost blood through transfusions and intravenous fluids, keeping the patient alive throughout the onslaught long enough for the immune system to develop antibodies to the virus. Even if you survive, the virus can remain in areas such as the eyes and testes, which can leave people infectious for more than a year after recovery. Because there is currently no cure, getting ahead involves preventing people getting ill through containment of those infected with the disease and the development of vaccines. Countries which have not experienced a nebola outbreak tend to have low public and clinical awareness around the disease, as well as poor diagnostic tools. Meaning the alarm may only be raised once the disease has spread widely. Many people may become infected, with containment made more difficult by inadequate health infrastructure. As a result of such conditions, the 2014 West Africa epidemic lasted for two years, affected eight countries and more than 11,000 people died. There are six known Ebola species, four of which cause disease in humans. These differ in the nature of their surface proteins and are recognized differently by our immune cells. This makes many different targets for vaccines. A vaccine against the deadliest and most common, the Zaire species, has been developed. But it takes years of field testing for a vaccine like this to be officially approved. Developing a vaccine that can target all the species that cause disease in humans would be ideal. Identifying the Ebola species and implementing drug trials and vaccinations as soon as possible is why genomic sequencing of all human occurrences of the virus needs to be part of the Ebola outbreak emergency response. By tracing the evolution of the virus, genomic sequencing allows scientists to locate who caught the disease from who, identifying transmission routes and potential contacts. As viruses also keep changing and mutating, they are also moving targets. Vitally, genomic sequencing allows us to know which parts of the virus are preserved, which parts are integral to its function, and good targets for vaccines. In future, we may even be able to develop vaccines which act against multiple species at once. Research funded by WALCOM and others during the West Africa crisis allowed the first Zaire species vaccine to be trialled. It successfully protected against the Ebola virus. This vaccine was stockpiled ready for later use on health workers and potential contacts of those with the disease. When an outbreak arose in 2018 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, WALCOM donated £2 million, partly to support a vaccination programme for all those who may have come into contact with those with the disease. In this case, upwards of 3,000 people. The rapid release of emergency funds enabled not just containment and care, but also scientific research to be incorporated throughout the emergency response, crucial to progress in combating the disease. Only because this response was well-practiced and coordinated, was it possible for help to be quickly assembled and to implement international policies such as border checks. Although the DRC's May 2018 outbreak was stamped out within weeks and 33 people died, a new appearance of Ebola in an active conflict zone in a different part of the country demonstrated the enduring nature of the threat. Such situations add complication to the outbreak response, but the international community is now better equipped to combat Ebola. So by keeping the pressure up on the scientific research in the lulls between clear and present dangers, we can get ahead of the threat simmering below the surface and contain Ebola's next inevitable incursion.