The species of Ebola virus causing an outbreak in Congo that has killed over 130 people is less common than other Ebola viruses, which is complicating the response because there are no specific treatments or vaccines.
"There's nothing even close to ready for clinical trials," said Celine Gounder, MD, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist who treated patients in West Africa during the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic. "And so that means responders, healthcare workers, and other aid workers are really back to the basics."
Here's what to know about Bundibugyo virus, the rare species behind the outbreak of Ebola virus disease.
Bundibugyo Virus Has Caused Two Other Outbreaks
Bundibugyo has caused two other outbreaks, all in the same region of the Congo River basin, said Tom Ksiazek, DVM, PhD, a University of Texas Medical Branch virologist and veterinarian. He directed the CDC's Special Pathogens Branch, which first identified the virus in 2007.
