Molecular Diagnostic Tests (RT-PCR) for Ebola Virus Bundibugyo Strain

Africa CDC (2026) CC
On May 17, 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). This was followed by Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declaration on 18 May 2026 as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS) signalling the seriousness of the situation and calling for immediate actions. Unlike previous outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) caused by zaire strain for which validated countermeasures have been available, there is currently lack of vaccines and therapeutics for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain that is driving the current outbreak. In addition, only a limited number of clinical diagnostics tests have been approved or validated for use. These gaps in effective medical countermeasures are constraining the outbreak response efforts.