Ebola haemorrhagic fever is a syndrome that can lead to death within a few days of the onset of symptoms. It directly affects the immune system and the vascular bed, resulting in an extremely high mortality rate. The Ebola virus (EBOV) belongs to the Filoviridae family within the order Mononegavirales. The Filoviridae family comprises three genera: Ebola virus, Marburg virus and Cueva virus. The Ebola virus genus is further subdivided into five species, each represented by a unique virus: Taï Forest Ebola virus (TAFV), Reston Ebola virus (RESTV), Sudan Ebola virus (SUDV), Bundibugyo Ebola virus (BDBV), and Zaire Ebola virus (EBOV). EBOV is the most prominent of these.

BDBV is considered a less virulent Ebola virus due to its lower case fatality rate in human and animal outbreaks (25% to 51%). In contrast, the case fatality rate following Ebola virus infection in non-human primates is almost always fatal. While in-depth transcriptomic analyses have been conducted on samples from human patients and non-human primates infected with the Ebola virus, no such studies have been conducted on the Bundibugyo virus.

The clinical manifestations of Ebola virus infection in humans and non-human primates (NHPs) are similar and include viremia, cytokine storm and consumptive coagulopathy, which can lead to septic shock and multiple organ failure. The virus initially replicates in monocytes and dendritic cells before spreading to hepatocytes, endothelial cells and epithelial cells.

In May 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) received a report of a highly fatal Bondibougio virus outbreak in Mongbwalu Health Zone, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which resulted in deaths among healthcare workers. The Bondibougio virus forms filamentous viral particles and is closely related to the Zaire Ebola virus. It is one of several viruses that can cause Ebola in humans, presenting as viral haemorrhagic fever. Unlike Ebola virus disease, there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments for the Bondibougio virus, but early supportive care can save lives. This outbreak has once again drawn global attention to Ebola, highlighting the urgent need to develop effective diagnostic and preventive products.

Recognizing the urgent need for more effective tools to combat BDBV, Creative Diagnostics is monitoring the current outbreak closely and has swiftly introduced a range of products to support BDBV infection and vaccine research, including antibodies, ELISA kits, RT-PCR kits, and nucleic acid standard references.

Creative Diagnostics will continue to provide research solutions to assist scientists, public health researchers and biotechnology organizations in deeper understanding of this emerging pathogen. To learn more about Creative Diagnostics’ research products and outbreak response reagents, please visit https://www.creative-diagnostics.com/bundibugyo-virus-bdbv-outbreak-response.htm.

About Creative Diagnostics

Creative Diagnostics is a leading manufacturer and supplier of antibodies, viral antigens, innovative diagnostic components, and critical assay reagents. In addition to providing contract R&D and biologic manufacturing services for diagnostic manufacturers along with GMP biologics manufacturing for the biopharmaceutical market, the company aims to continue to act as a trusted source for all researchers’ assay development and manufacturing needs.