What is Bundibugyo Ebola? The strain behind Kenya’s first case
Originally published by News – Capital FM Kenya — Read the original article →
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 6 — The Ebola strain detected in Kenya is not the same species that caused the devastating 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic, although both belong to the same virus genus.
Kenya’s confirmed case involves Bundibugyo virus, a species first identified during an outbreak in Uganda’s Bundibugyo District in 2007.
The distinction matters because vaccines and treatments developed for the Ebola virus that caused the West Africa epidemic cannot automatically be assumed to work against Bundibugyo virus. WHO says there are currently no licensed vaccines or approved specific treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease.