At least this time, they know that an Ebola outbreak is a possibility, meaning that they’ve found it fast and will be able to stomp it out fast.
The problem with that recent huge outbreak is that no one expected or looked for Ebola. They thought it was an outbreak of Lassa fever, which has similar symptoms but is not nearly as lethal. By the time they figured out it was Ebola, the outbreak was almost spreading uncontrollably. It took a huge effort to stomp it out.
While the huge outbreak in Guinea/Sierra Leone/Liberia was going on, there was a typical Ebola outbreak in the Congo. That outbreak was recognized and controlled quickly, because they have over 40 years of experience with Ebola in the Congo. I expect that the current and future outbreaks in west Africa will also be controlled quickly.
That’s good to know.
Last time, iirc, the symptoms were not quite typical for Ebola, hiccups factored in the actual determination that Ebola was a possibility and led to (finally) the first diagnoses.
I think you are right, that this will likely be recognized and better confined than the last outbreak, for public health and economic reasons.