Rare Ebola Strain Spreads Through Congo Despite No Vaccine

Conspiracy Theories Fuel Deadly Outbreak

Deep in the gold-mining town of Mongbwalu, angry crowds have torched medical centers and chased away health workers, convinced that the deadly Ebola outbreak ravaging eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is fabricated for profit. Rumors that Ebola is fabricated for financial gain or linked to efforts to exploit regional mineral resources have led some residents to reject public health guidance, including safe burial practices. In several towns at the center of the outbreak, angry crowds attacked hospitals and treatment centers after refusing to believe loved ones had died from Ebola, allowing suspected patients to flee during the chaos.

The outbreak is completely out of control , according to Dr. Richard Kojan, who has fought previous Ebola outbreaks across Africa. According to the latest government figures, there are more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases and up to 246 people are suspected to have died from the disease so far. What makes this crisis particularly dangerous is the strain involved: the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved vaccine or treatment.

For others, there's still suspicion and misinformation, claiming that Ebola is fabricated. Just twice in the last week, angry residents have attacked health clinics or treatment centers in Mongbwalu and Rwampara, in some cases setting fire to medical tents. The violence has created a vicious cycle where fear breeds more fear, allowing the virus to spread unchecked through communities that refuse medical intervention.

Third-Worst Outbreak in History

This is only the third known outbreak of this virus, and there are no vaccines or treatments. WHO has confirmed that the disease is being caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has a fatality rate of up to 40%, that is so little known, there are no vaccines or treatments for it. Unlike the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, for which vaccines exist, Bundibugyo is genetically distinct enough that existing medical countermeasures are largely useless.

The outbreak has already crossed international borders, with Both Rwanda and Uganda have closed their borders with Congo. Uganda has its own, much smaller Ebola outbreak. The country's health ministry has announced seven confirmed cases of the disease in the country. Canada has announced a 90-day entry ban for residents from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. The United States has banned non-citizens who have traveled to those countries from entering.

The epicenter of the outbreak is in Mongbwalu, a poor gold-mining town of 130,000 people, in Ituri province, in eastern Congo. The situation is currently very concerning, with active transmission ongoing everywhere around here in Mongbwalu , said Dr. Esther Sterk, a tropical disease specialist working in the affected area. The town's poverty and transient mining population have created perfect conditions for rapid viral spread.

Medical Response Hampered by Conflict

Much of eastern Congo is plagued by violent armed groups and road infrastructure is extremely poor. Confirmed Ebola cases have also now been recorded in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, large areas of which are governed by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, which will further complicate the response. This volatile security situation makes it nearly impossible for health workers to reach affected communities or establish proper treatment facilities.

An additional major obstacle in the response to this outbreak is the ability to rapidly diagnose those affected by the disease. However, these are currently available in insufficient quantities for the Bundibugyo virus, which considerably slows down case confirmation and, as a result, the implementation of contact tracing and patient isolation. Without quick diagnostic capabilities, suspected cases go undetected for days or weeks, allowing further transmission.

That, of course, is an impediment but we've controlled lots of Ebola outbreaks in the past without having a vaccine or a therapeutic. Without such options, medical professionals rely on other approaches to containing the virus and caring for the patients, including supportive care such as rehydration. However, even basic supportive care requires trust between communities and health workers—trust that has been shattered by years of conflict and neglect.

Race Against Time

Currently, the vaccine pipeline for Bundibugyo virus disease includes two candidates highlighted by WHO: A candidate vaccine leveraging the rVSV platform (the same platform as Merck's vaccine) but targeted towards Bundibugyo ebolavirus. There are no doses of this candidate available for clinical trials and it's estimated that producing doses for clinical trials could take six to nine months. This timeline means the current outbreak will likely run its course before any vaccine becomes available.

The international response has been swift but faces enormous challenges. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday raised the national risk assessment for DRC to "very high" - although the global risk remains "low". So far, 82 cases and seven deaths have been confirmed in DRC, but WHO says the real scale of the outbreak is likely far larger, with nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths reported. These numbers suggest the outbreak has been spreading undetected for weeks or months.

The crisis