Ebola

Ebola is caused by a virus transmitted between humans or to humans from animals. In Africa, people have developed Ebola after handling infected animals found ill or dead, including fruit bats. There are different viruses that cause the Ebola disease, named after where they were discovered: Bundibugyo, Ivory Coast, Reston, Sudan, and Ebola (also known as Zaire).

There is no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus currently spreading in DRC. On May 17, 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. 

Human-to-human transmission occurs through contact with bodily fluids of an infected person, including blood and secretions. For this reason, health care staff and all others in contact with an infected person must wear properly designed protective clothing to avoid becoming infected.

In pregnant women, the virus may be transmitted from mother to baby in utero, during delivery, or through contact with maternal body fluids (including breast milk) after birth.

Ebola is not spread through air or water, or from newly infected people who are not yet showing any symptoms.

During an outbreak, Ebola virus can spread quickly within health care facilities. Proper infection control in health centers is therefore vital to reduce risks for other patients, caregivers, and health workers. Those caring for infected patients must wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Protective gear must be also worn to safely bury Ebola victims, as the virus can be transmitted by touching the bodies of those who have died from the disease.

Symptoms appear any time from 2 to 21 days after exposure to the virus, typically in 8 to 10 days. Ebola usually begins with a sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat. This is often followed by vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, which may progress to severe disease with altered mental status, shock, multi-organ failure, and sometimes abnormal bleeding. Other symptoms may include red eyes, hiccups, chest pains, and difficulty breathing and swallowing.

The early, non-specific symptoms of Ebola are also common to other serious diseases, including malaria and typhoid fever, and to symptoms of pregnancy complications. For this reason, laboratory testing is essential to identify infected patients and to help ensure that people who test negative for Ebola receive correct diagnosis and treatment for their symptoms. 

Timely testing is critical for surveillance, understanding transmission trends, and guiding the response. However, there is limited testing capacity for the Bundibugyo virus currently spreading in DRC and Uganda. Because this virus is globally rare, manufacturers are not routinely producing enough specialized test kits, making diagnosis particularly difficult. While research and development are ongoing, it will take time to establish rapid decentralized testing for the Bundibugyo virus.

There are tests for the more common Ebola (or Zaire) virus, which detect the genetic material of the virus. Until recently, these tests required highly trained technicians working in well-equipped laboratories that were often far from outbreak zones, so patients and providers would have to wait for days to get test results. 

Once a case of Ebola is confirmed, a swift response is vital to contain an outbreak. The needs of patients and affected communities must remain at the heart of the response.

The essential measures for containing outbreaks, which are all necessary for effective control, are:

1. Care and isolation of patients, to prevent further spread and save lives;
2. Community engagement and health promotion, to build community understanding of Ebola and participation in implementing necessary interventions; 
3. Environmental decontamination (such as spraying homes of patients) and safe, dignified burials of those who died from Ebola;
4. Surveillance of affected and at-risk communities, to identify possible cases early;
5. Contact tracing, to find and test anyone who had recent contact with a new Ebola patient;
6. Supporting existing health structures to identify and refer potential Ebola patients and to maintain effective infection control; and
7. Vaccination.

Once an outbreak has ended, it’s critical to maintain surveillance for Ebola in the region, so that any new patient is quickly identified before another outbreak flares up. Another key measure is to support at-risk countries in developing preparedness plans.

Toward the end of the West Africa outbreak of 2014–2016, trials for a new vaccine began, and by late 2016 had shown promising evidence that the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine was both safe and effective against the Zaire virus. In 2024, The Lancet published a study by Epicentre, MSF’s research arm, which found that vaccination with the rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP vaccine during epidemics reduces their risk of developing Ebola disease by 84 percent. These results reinforce the importance of rapidly vaccinating people potentially exposed to the virus as soon as epidemics begin.

This vaccine has been used in response to a previous Ebola outbreak in DRC. But for several reasons, including not having official licensure for the vaccine, it must be used under very restrictive conditions that severely limit the speed, and therefore the reach, of vaccination efforts.

There is no approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus currently being reported in DRC. 

There is no approved treatment specific to the Bundibugyo virus currently spreading in DRC and Uganda. In the absence of targeted treatment, patient care relies primarily on symptom management and support to improve patients’ chances of survival. This involves fluid replacement, oxygen therapy, and monitoring of blood and cardiac parameters. Learn more about the Bundibugyo virus.

In previous outbreaks involving other viruses that cause Ebola disease, such as the Ebola (or Zaire) virus, treatment was initially limited to supportive therapies, starting with medication to reduce pain, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. Keeping patients hydrated is crucial to avoid shock and other severe consequences. If patients are alert, able to participate in their care, and are not vomiting, oral rehydration drinks can be sufficient to replenish fluids; those with severe diarrhea or vomiting, or who cannot drink enough liquid, receive intravenous fluids. 

Anti-anxiety drugs can help patients in distress, while vitamins and therapeutic foods are also provided. Psychological support is also provided to help patients and their families cope with a frightening, serious illness, often while simultaneously facing the illness or loss of other family members from Ebola.