LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended testing the Ervebo Ebola vaccine in a Phase III trial to determine whether it can prevent Bundibugyo virus disease amid the second-largest Ebola outbreak recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The latest recommendation was announced on Thursday by WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus who said two vaccines specifically developed against the Bundibugyo virus are already undergoing Phase I safety trials in humans.
Meanwhile, new animal studies have shown promising signs that Ervebo could provide some protection against the virus.
However, it remains unclear whether the vaccine can protect humans from Bundibugyo virus disease.
Ghebreyesus said the proposed Phase III trial would establish whether Ervebo is safe and effective against the virus and could provide evidence for its possible use during the current outbreak or future outbreaks.
The development comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) battles its largest Bundibugyo virus outbreak on record.
According to WHO figures, the country had recorded 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths across five provinces and 53 health zones as of Thursday.
WHO reported that the outbreak was spreading faster than any previous Ebola outbreak at the same stage and could overtake the 2014–2016 West African outbreak, which remains the world’s largest Ebola outbreak, with more than 28,000 cases and 11,000 deaths reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
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Bundibugyo virus belongs to the Ebola virus family and can cause severe, potentially fatal disease.
However, no vaccine has been specifically approved to prevent Bundibugyo virus disease. Ervebo is licensed for Ebola virus disease caused by the Zaire ebolavirus, but not for Bundibugyo virus disease.
The current DRC outbreak was detected in May after an unexplained cluster of deaths in Ituri Province.
Laboratory tests later confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease, prompting authorities to declare the country’s 17th Ebola outbreak.
Uganda has also reported imported cases linked to the DRC outbreak, leading WHO to classify the situation in the two countries as a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern”.
Previous Bundibugyo outbreaks have recorded case fatality rates of between 30 and 50 percent, according to WHO.
Notably, WHO is also supporting efforts to identify effective treatments as Ghebreyesus reported a partner-led clinical trial assessing potential treatments had reached 100 patients.
The trial is expected to provide evidence on which therapies could improve survival and outcomes among people infected with the virus.
Ghebreyesus urged international partners to support and speed up the proposed vaccine trial, stressing that controlling the outbreak will require cooperation between the DRC government, WHO, Africa CDC and other partners.
