An outbreak of a rare strain of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has already become the third largest in history, just weeks after its suspected onset, The Wall Street Journal reports, according to UNN.
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The virus is spreading rapidly in one of the world's most unstable and vulnerable regions, causing concern among American and international health officials. A reduction in international health aid over the past year and a half is exacerbating the situation, some health executives say.
According to the WHO, as of Friday, at least 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths had already been registered in Congo, as well as two cases in Uganda among travelers. On Saturday, three new cases were reported in Uganda.
Uganda reports new cases of Ebola23.05.26, 18:05
According to international health officials, the currently spreading Bundibugyo strain has caused only two previous outbreaks and is so rare that it was not included in laboratory tests for Ebola where the latest outbreak occurred, delaying its detection. There are no approved vaccines or treatments, making the outbreak even riskier.
The most promising candidate for this strain is a vaccine developed based on the vaccine already approved for the Zaire strain, said Dr. Vasi Murthy, a WHO representative. It will likely take six to nine months to prepare doses for clinical trials, he said.