The deadly Ebola virus rampaging through central Africa is a rare strain that has no approved vaccine or targeted treatment, experts have warned. Last night, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after cases spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo into neighbouring Uganda.
Health officials fear the true scale of the outbreak could be far larger than currently known, with around 246 suspected cases and 80 reported deaths already linked to the virus. Dr Daniela Manno, Clinical Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, described the outbreak as 'concerning' and warned the virus may have been spreading undetected for weeks before it was formally identified.
She said: 'The number of suspected cases reported before confirmation suggests transmission may have been ongoing for several weeks before the outbreak was formally recognised.' Scientists say the current outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola – a form of the disease seen in only two previous outbreaks.
Prof Emma Thompson, director of the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, warned: 'We do not currently have a proven, licensed, Bundibugyo-virus-specific vaccine available for outbreak control and further urgent research is required.' She added that approved monoclonal antibody treatments such as Inmazeb and Ebanga were developed for disease caused by Ebola virus, not Bundibugyo virus, and their efficacy against other ebolaviruses has not been established.
The WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency after cases spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo into neighbouring Uganda. Experts say the outbreak is particularly difficult to contain because it is unfolding in a region affected by armed conflict, mass displacement and heavy cross-border movement.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, including blood and vomit, making it far less transmissible than airborne viruses such as Covid-19. Experts maintain the risk to the UK is very low. In the 2013-16 West African outbreak, there were only a handful of cases in Europe despite almost 30,000 cases in West Africa.
But scientists warn the virus can still be devastating. Dr Natsuko Imai, Research Lead in Epidemics and Epidemiology at Wellcome, said 'this evolving situation is concerning'. Dr Anne Cori, associate professor in infectious disease modelling at Imperial College London, said previous Bundibugyo outbreaks suggested around one in three infected patients died.
Symptoms typically begin suddenly with fever, headache, muscle pain and fatigue before progressing to vomiting, diarrhoea, organ failure and, in some cases, internal and external bleeding. The WHO stressed the outbreak does not currently meet the criteria for a pandemic, but said the international emergency declaration would help mobilise funding, surveillance and cross-border coordination.
The agency urged neighbouring countries to strengthen screening and monitoring measures but advised against border closures or travel bans. Rwanda has already announced tighter border screening measures as a precaution. Scientists say rapid contact tracing, isolation of cases, safe burials and community engagement will now be critical to preventing the outbreak from spreading further.
Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now DR Congo. This marks the country's 17th recorded outbreak of the deadly virus. DR Congo's deadliest outbreak, between 2018 and 2020, killed nearly 2,300 people.
