A dangerous strain of Ebola virus — one with no approved vaccine and no targeted antiviral treatment — is spreading across the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, prompting the United States to commit $270 million in response funding, restrict entry for travelers from affected countries, and activate enhanced screening at three major U.S. airports.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BVD), a strain that has caused only two prior outbreaks in recorded history — and for which the medical world has never developed a licensed vaccine or treatment. That gap in preparedness is now the central challenge facing public health officials as the outbreak grows.
