Stockpiled Ebola vaccines trigger antibody response against Bundibugyo virus in lab tests

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Researchers have tested stockpiled Ebola vaccines to see if they elicit an antibody response against the Bundibugyo virus, a highly contagious Ebola variant responsible for recent outbreaks in DR Congo and Uganda. The study explores vaccine repurposing to combat severe hemorrhagic fever caused by this virus.

A highly contagious Ebola virus species, Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), has driven several outbreaks since 2007, including the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda in 2026. Bundibugyo virus causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever that affects multiple organ systems, damages blood vessels and can progress to severe symptoms, including bleeding and shock. Because there was no licensed vaccine designed specifically for the virus, researchers wanted to know whether vaccines already used for the more common Zaire ebolavirus could be repurposed to help protect people against Bundibugyo virus.