Three Vaccines in Development as Deadly Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak Raises Global Alarm
Scientists race to develop vaccines against the rare Bundibugyo Ebola strain as infections rise and fears grow over a potentially devastating outbreak.
- Three vaccines under development for Bundibugyo Ebola.
- Outbreak has killed nearly 250 people.
- Experts warn crisis could worsen rapidly.
Scientists are urgently developing three experimental vaccines to combat the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola as fears grow over an outbreak that has already claimed nearly 250 lives and infected more than 1,000 people in Central Africa.
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), the University of Oxford, and pharmaceutical giant Moderna are each working on vaccine candidates targeting the rare Ebola species, which currently has no approved vaccine.
Funding for the research is being provided by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which has stressed the need for swift action as the outbreak continues to spread.
Health authorities have reported more than 1,000 suspected cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while neighbouring Uganda has confirmed nine infections. The outbreak was detected only after it had spread through a conflict-affected region with limited healthcare infrastructure, complicating containment efforts.
The rapid rise in cases has sparked concerns that the outbreak could rival, or even surpass, the devastating West African Ebola epidemic of 2014 to 2016, which infected nearly 29,000 people and caused more than 11,000 deaths.
Dr. Mark Feinberg, President and CEO of IAVI, warned that the current outbreak poses a significant threat and could become one of the most severe Ebola crises on record if not contained quickly.
Medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has also expressed concern, describing the situation as “deeply alarming” and noting that such a high number of cases has rarely been recorded so early in an outbreak.
Ebola vaccines are species-specific, meaning each strain requires its own targeted vaccine. Although an effective vaccine exists for the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, there is currently no licensed vaccine for the Bundibugyo species, which has previously caused only two known outbreaks.
To address the challenge, IAVI is developing a modified version of the existing Zaire Ebola vaccine. Early studies in monkeys have shown promising results, with the experimental vaccine providing nearly 100 percent protection by rapidly stimulating the immune system.
Researchers hope the accelerated development of these vaccines will help contain the outbreak and prevent a wider regional and global health emergency.
