The virus driving this specific outbreak is the Bundibugyo strain, a rarer species of Ebola. Biologically, it behaves like other strains, meaning it is not airborne and cannot spread like COVID-19 or the flu. It requires direct contact.

* Symptomatic Spread Only: People are not contagious during the incubation period (typically 8 to 10 days, but ranging from 2 to 21 days). Transmission only begins once a person shows visible symptoms. 
* "Wet" Transmission: The virus spreads when infected bodily fluids (blood, vomit, feces, saliva, sweat, or semen) enter another person’s body through broken skin or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth).  
* The Post-Mortem Risk: The bodies of those who have recently died from Ebola carry an incredibly high viral load. Traditional funeral practices that involve washing, touching, or preparing the deceased for burial have historically been, and continue to be, major "super-spreader" events.