Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak in Congo-Uganda: No Vaccine, No Approved Treatment

The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda has no approved vaccine or specific treatment. The World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency with more than 250 suspected cases and about 80 deaths, and numbers are likely to rise. This strain is less common than the Zaire Ebola virus, which does have vaccines; past Bundibugyo outbreaks (Uganda 2007, Congo 2012) were smaller. Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, and bleeding, with a 30–50% fatality rate; early intensive supportive care can improve survival. An American doctor has tested positive and several others are believed exposed. No Bundibugyo-specific vaccine is close to deployment.