Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Study says Congo-Uganda Ebola outbreak began with new animal transmission
Scientists discovered where a very serious sickness called Ebola came from in Congo and Uganda.
They studied the virus in samples from 22 sick people.
They found that this is a new kind of a rare type of Ebola called Bundibugyo.
This means it probably jumped from an animal to a person for the first time.
After that, it spread from sick people to healthy people.
It is different from the Ebola viruses that caused outbreaks in 2007 and 2012.
The scientists could not find out which animal carried the virus.
There is no approved vaccine or medicine for this type of Ebola yet, though some are being developed.
More than 4,000 people have fallen ill and over 2,000 have died.
The scientists say that more testing could help find future outbreaks earlier.
A study published in Nature Medicine found the Congo-Uganda Ebola outbreak involves a previously unseen variant of the rare Bundibugyo Ebola species.
The strain is genetically distinct from Bundibugyo viruses seen in outbreaks in 2007 and 2012, indicating a fresh animal-to-human transmission.
Researchers from Congo, Uganda, Belgium and other countries analysed virus samples from 22 patients in Congo and Uganda.
Genetic analysis confirmed that cases detected in Uganda were linked to the outbreak in Congo.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, has surpassed 2,000 deaths with 4,381 confirmed cases, and no approved vaccine or treatment exists for Bundibugyo.
- Who
- Researchers from Congo, Uganda, Belgium and other countries, who analysed virus samples from 22 patients in Congo and Uganda.
- What
- A new study found the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda was caused by a previously unseen variant of the Bundibugyo Ebola species, suggesting a fresh animal-to-human transmission.
- When
- The outbreak was declared on May 15; the study findings were published on Monday in Nature Medicine.
- Where
- Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
- Why
- The outbreak likely began with a new transmission from animals to humans rather than from variants linked to earlier outbreaks, and then spread between people.
- Study journal
- Nature Medicine
- Virus species
- Bundibugyo Ebola (previously unseen variant)
- Samples analysed
- 22 patients in Congo and Uganda
- Outbreak declared
- May 15
- Confirmed cases
- 4,381
- Deaths
- Over 2,000
- Vaccine or treatment
- None approved for Bundibugyo; candidates under development
- Researchers' countries
- Congo, Uganda, Belgium and others