The Bundibugyo Ebola strain started in 2007, and it resurfaced more strongly in the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda in 2026. It started in Congo when the authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of an unknown illness in Ituri province.
Uganda later confirms a case of the unknown illness in Kampala. So, after experiments and research made by the scientists, they discovered that this is not just the popular Ebola case, but it’s another type of Ebola disease called the Bundibugyo Ebola.
There are no validated vaccines and treatments for it due to some complications of the disease. However, there are consistent efforts being made by the global health bodies in developing vaccines and treatment for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain.
What the Bundibugyo Ebola Strain Actually Is in Plain Language
The Bundibugyo Ebola was named after the first incident that occurred in the Bundibugyo District, western Uganda, near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
There are different types of Ebola diseases. But the Bundibugyo Ebola virus is among the Orthoebolavirus genus of Filoviridae with the popular Zaire and Sudan ebolaviruses, while Marburg and Ravn represent the parallel Orthomarburgvirus lineage.
After the outbreak of Bundibugyo Ebola in 2007, it also occurred in 2012. The third outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola strain occurred in 2026.
How Does Bundibugyo Ebola Spread, and Can You Catch It in a Crowd
All the types of Ebola disease spread the same way, cause similar symptoms, and come from animals to humans. You cannot get Ebola from simply being near someone or passing them in public spaces, which means you cannot catch it in a crowd because it does not spread through the air.
The Bundibugyo Ebola started when people came into contact with infected animals (especially fruit bats, or bushmeat from monkeys/apes) or their fluids and spread through contact with the body fluids of an infected, sick, or dead person.
The symptoms of Bundibugyo Ebola can be mistaken for malaria and typhoid if a proper test is not taken. The early symptoms of the Bundibugyo Ebola include fever, headache, muscle or joint pain / body aches, fatigue / weakness / feeling very tired, sore throat, and sometimes chills or loss of appetite.
Which One Is More Deadly Between Bundibugyo Ebola and Zaire Ebola
The Zaire Ebola is the most lethal of the Ebola viruses. It is the biggest outbreak in West Africa within 2014 to 2016. It is the popular Ebola virus people know about, and vaccines were later discovered for this type of Ebola disease.
Previous Bundibugyo Ebola outbreaks have had case fatality rates of between 30 and 50 percent, suggesting this virus has around the same lethality as the Zaire ebolavirus strain.
However, Dr Marcus Pereira, the medical director of the transplant infectious diseases program at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, gave clarity and said,
This virus, fortunately, seems to be less fatal at around 30 percent than the Zaire Ebola virus, which historically kills 60 to 90 percent of those infected without treatment.
Why Is There No Vaccine or Treatment for Bundibugyo in 2026
There are currently two approved vaccines against Ebola disease, but none of them is approved for use in cases of infection with the Bundibugyo Ebola.
The FDA approved the Ervebo vaccine, which uses a ring vaccination strategy to limit the spread of Zaire Ebola, but it cannot be used for Bundibugyo Ebola because it targets a different species.
There are also no specific treatments approved for the Bundibugyo Ebola. However, there are means of managing the symptoms by giving medications. You can read more about the outbreak of the Bundibugyo disease in 2026 here.
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