"It Has Now Crossed Borders": No Vaccine or Treatment as Bundibugyo Ebola Variant Spreads [Reading Science]

WHO Declares International Public Health Emergency as Outbreak Spreads in Congo and Uganda

"Doesn't Spread Like COVID-19, but More Deadly"

Medical Staff Infections and Diagnostic Gaps Raise Alarm

There is neither a vaccine nor a treatment. Yet, the virus has already crossed borders.

On May 20, 2026, travelers are arriving at the international arrivals terminal of Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, Indonesia. The Indonesian Ministry of Health stated that authorities are closely monitoring travelers arriving from countries affected by the Ebola outbreak. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

On May 17 (local time), the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) over the ongoing spread of the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

PHEIC is the highest level of international health alert that the WHO can issue. It serves to prompt countries to strengthen their surveillance, quarantine, and diagnostic systems, and to foster international cooperation. However, it is conceptually distinct from the declaration of a "pandemic," which refers to a global outbreak like COVID-19.

According to WHO data released on the 16th (local time), at least 8 laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases, and more than 80 suspected deaths have been reported in Ituri Province, Congo. In addition, as an infected individual who traveled from Congo has been confirmed in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, cross-border transmission has already begun.

The greater concern is that this outbreak has been caused not by the Zaire-type Ebola, for which an existing vaccine is available, but by the relatively rare and under-researched Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV).

In 2019, at an International Rescue Committee (IRC) clinic set up in a refugee settlement in western Uganda, a female refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo was undergoing tests for Ebola symptoms. Photo by AP / Yonhap News Agency

Although there have been claims that infectious disease response capabilities have improved since COVID-19, the current situation involving a rare variant with virtually no vaccine or treatment available reveals persistent gaps in the international health system.

This is also why experts consider the situation particularly serious. It is not just the fatality rate that is alarming. There is analysis suggesting that a combination of factors—such as the possibility that infections went undetected for a significant period, cross-border movement, infections among healthcare workers, and a vulnerable local healthcare system—are all intertwined in this outbreak.

"It Doesn't Spread Like COVID-19"... So Why Is It Dangerous?

Ebola is not a virus that spreads quickly through the air like COVID-19. Most infections occur through direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or contaminated materials of an infected person.

Experts also caution against excessive fear. Vinod Balasubramaniam, a molecular virologist and professor at Monash University Malaysia, told the Science Media Center Korea (SMK), "Ebola does not spread like COVID-19 or influenza," adding, "With early intervention, isolation, and contact tracing, it is a controllable infectious disease."

Ebola virus. Provided by Wikipedia

Nevertheless, WHO issued the highest level of international health alert because of "unseen transmission."

Emma Thomson, professor at the University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, noted, "There have been cases that tested negative in the initial diagnostic phase, suggesting that the outbreak may have gone undetected for some time."

In fact, WHO reported that it took about four weeks from the appearance of the first suspected patient to laboratory confirmation. During that period, the virus likely spread along mining worker migration routes and cross-border transportation networks.

Experts are particularly alarmed by infections among healthcare workers. So far, at least four healthcare worker deaths have been reported, indicating that infection control measures within hospitals are not functioning properly.

Professor Thomson pointed out, "Infection among healthcare workers signals in-hospital transmission and a failure of infection control, serving as a warning that the healthcare system itself could become a conduit for the spread of infection."

"What's More Frightening Now Is Not the Virus, But the Collapsed System"

Experts identify the "vulnerable local situation" as the key risk factor in this crisis.

The current outbreak center in eastern Congo is an area beset by armed conflict, political instability, and poor healthcare infrastructure. Due to a lack of road networks and diagnostic systems, tracking infected individuals is difficult.

Torsten Feldt, a tropical medicine specialist at Düsseldorf University Hospital in Germany, warned, "Early symptoms of Ebola resemble those of malaria or common febrile illnesses, making it easy to miss, and there is a high likelihood that many contacts remain unidentified."

Furthermore, Congo and neighboring countries are also responding to mpox (monkeypox) outbreaks at the same time. Although WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) are involved in the response, the burden on local healthcare systems is already considered significant.

The most critical problem is the lack of a vaccine. The currently approved Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, was developed to target the Zaire-type Ebola responsible for the 2014-2016 West African outbreak. However, it has not been proven to provide sufficient protection against the current Bundibugyo variant.

MSD (Merck & Co.)'s Ebola vaccine 'Ervebo'. The Asia Business Daily DB

Adrian Esterman, a biostatistician and professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia, explained, "Research into a vaccine for the Bundibugyo variant is still in preclinical stages. While there is ongoing discussion about the development of a pan-Ebola vaccine, there is not yet a viable candidate for practical use."

Experts stress that what is needed now is not the spread of fear, but early diagnosis and transparent risk communication.

Kim Youngwook, a professor and fellow in Communication and Media at Ewha Womans University, stated, "In the case of high-risk infectious diseases, it is crucial to transparently explain what is known and what remains uncertain, rather than concealing uncertainty, so that the public can participate in the response based on understanding, not fear."

The WHO has stated that the current situation does not yet meet the criteria for a "pandemic emergency," as Ebola, unlike respiratory viruses such as COVID-19, has relatively limited transmissibility.

However, experts say this crisis serves as another warning. Vaccine and treatment systems designed only for well-known viruses are insufficient to prevent new variants and rare infectious diseases.

Natsuko Imai, head of epidemiological research at the Wellcome Trust in the UK, emphasized, "Although the global risk remains low, the situation is clearly concerning. What is needed now is international cooperation and early intervention."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.