The World Health Organization and Africa CDC convened emergency meetings to accelerate development of vaccines against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola as outbreaks grow in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the epidemic a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, citing rapid spread across at least nine health zones in the DRC and two confirmed cases in Uganda among travelers from affected areas. Unlike Zaire ebolavirus, no FDA-approved vaccine or treatment exists specifically for Bundibugyo.
CDC activated its emergency operations center and deployed support for surveillance, contact tracing and laboratory testing. As of mid-May, suspected cases numbered nearly 600 with more than 130 reported deaths, though officials cautioned that syndromic reporting suggests the outbreak may be larger than confirmed figures indicate.
Officials urged clinical trials for candidate vaccines and therapeutics while emphasizing that supportive care including fluid management remains the primary treatment approach. The ERVEBO vaccine licensed in the United States is not expected to protect against Bundibugyo based on animal studies.
WHO convened an emergency committee on May 17 after Bundibugyo cases appeared in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, raising fears of urban transmission. Africa CDC coordinated with national health ministries on border screening and community engagement in Ituri province, where insecurity has complicated contact tracing efforts.
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Sources:
https://www.science.org/content/article/scientists-play-catch-startling-ebola-outbreak