A less-studied Ebola strain (Bundibugyo) is causing an unusually large outbreak without a targeted vaccine, highlighting the urgent need for a coordinated, community-led global response to strengthen infection control and limit spread.

As the World Health Organisation raises global concern about the scale and speed of an outbreak of a rare type of ebola in Africa, two University of the Sunshine Coast experts are available to comment.

UniSC Associate Professor of Molecular Engineering Joanne Macdonald says: “The current ebola outbreak is unusual because it’s caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a much rarer type of ebola for which we don’t have a widely used vaccine. 

“Unlike Zaire ebolavirus, the strain responsible for most large, high-profile outbreaks, Bundibugyo has historically been much less common. 

“I’m particularly interested in this outbreak because we developed a rapid test for ebola (Zaire), and I’ve taught about Zaire outbreaks in my viral pathogenesis lecture, focusing on the 2014–2016 West African epidemic, which resulted in about 28,000 cases and over 11,000 deaths across Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia.”

"Zaire ebolavirus, in particular, has very high case fatality rates (sometimes up to ~90%). Because of this, Zaire became the primary focus of vaccine development.

"A highly effective vaccine (rVSV-ZEBOV/Ervebo) was first deployed during the 2018–2020 DRC outbreak and officially approved in 2019. Since then, Zaire outbreaks have been much better controlled and are typically contained more quickly, often remaining localised rather than escalating into the major crises seen in the past.

"Bundibugyo virus, on the other hand, has historically caused only a couple of relatively small outbreaks (fewer than 120 cases combined) and tends to be less deadly, with case fatality rates around 30–40%. It has not previously been associated with large, multi-country epidemics on the scale seen with Zaire ebolavirus.

"So this outbreak is unusual: it involves a strain that is both less studied and not covered by current vaccines, but is now causing a larger event than typically seen for Bundibugyo. Without a targeted vaccine, controlling its spread is likely to be more challenging."

UniSC Senior Lecturer in Nursing and expert in infection prevention and control, Dr Matt Mason says a coordinated, global response is vital and must be co-designed with community and healthcare leaders in Congo and Uganda.

“The WHO's declaration of the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern demands an urgent, coordinated global response, one that places communities and their extensive local knowledge at its core.

"At least four healthcare worker deaths have already been reported, raising serious concerns about gaps in infection prevention and control (IPC) and the potential for amplification within health facilities, leading to leakage to the wider community.

"Strengthening IPC is critical, but cannot be achieved through top-down directives alone. Local health workers, traditional healers, and community caregivers carry deep contextual knowledge of how illness presents, spreads, and is understood within their communities.

"This knowledge is not supplementary, it is foundational. IPC guidance and outbreak response strategies must be co-designed with community leaders, not simply delivered to them.

"Their relationships of trust, understanding of cultural practices around care and burial, and ability to communicate in locally resonant ways are assets no external expert can replicate. Genuine partnership, rather than paternalistic assistance, must define this response.

"The protracted humanitarian crisis, ongoing insecurity, high population mobility, and widespread informal healthcare networks in Eastern DRC further underscore why externally led responses alone will fall short.

"The international community must fund the response, ensure uninterrupted PPE supplies, and invest in local health systems and fair remuneration for health workers, both professional and lay. Saving lives depends on it.

Risk to Australia and international travellers

"Two confirmed cases have already been reported in Kampala following travel from the DRC, demonstrating the virus's capacity for international spread. While Australia's direct risk remains low, travellers to affected regions should monitor WHO advisories, avoid contact with suspected cases, and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms develop post-travel.

"The most effective protection is avoiding travel to active outbreak zones entirely. If travel is essential, strict adherence to WHO and Australian Department of Health guidelines, combined with comprehensive PPE use in any clinical or community care setting, is critical.

"Hand hygiene remains important, but must be understood as one small component of a much broader, layered infection prevention strategy, including respiratory and mucous membrane protection.'