Scientists emphasized that the Bundibugyo Ebola virus species driving the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has no licensed vaccines or approved treatments, unlike the Zaire strain targeted during West Africa’s 2014-2016 epidemic.
WHO confirmed the species on May 15 after analyzing blood samples from Ituri Province, where suspected cases exceeded 800 with more than 180 deaths by late May. Past Bundibugyo outbreaks recorded fatality rates between 30 and 50 percent.
Researchers are drafting clinical trial protocols for two experimental therapeutics and evaluating multivalent vaccine candidates from Oxford and other developers. Early supportive care including hydration and symptom management remains the primary intervention available to clinicians today.
Health agencies said the countermeasure gap complicates contact tracing and community acceptance of control measures that proved effective when immunization was available for other Ebola species. Emergency funding appeals focus on laboratory capacity, treatment units and cross-border surveillance in Uganda.
Zaire ebolavirus outbreaks in West Africa benefited from ring vaccination campaigns using approved vaccines, a tool unavailable for Bundibugyo species today. WHO noted eight laboratory-confirmed cases among hundreds of suspected infections in initial May reporting from Ituri. Health educators said explaining the countermeasure gap is essential to gain community cooperation with isolation and safe burial protocols in villages with limited clinic access.
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Sources:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-race-to-develop-ebola-drugs-as-outbreak-surges/