- A rare Ebola strain called BVD is spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. No Ebola vaccine is available because current shots target only the Zaire strain.
- Compared to the Zaire strain, BVD has a lower mortality rate.
- The most common mode of transmission is direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person. There have also been instances of Ebola passing through sexual activities.
- Doctors say it is unlikely the rare Ebola strain will fuel another pandemic.
By now you might have seen Ebola in your local paper or news station. While thousands of miles from the US, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda is grabbing international attention, mostly because it’s a rare strain with no vaccine options. This Ebola strain is called Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD).
At the time of reporting, there were over 536 suspected cases with numbers expected to further rise. At least 134 deaths are suspected to be tied to the outbreak. One of those infected is an American missionary doctor who has been transported to Germany for care and isolation.
Ebola is one of the highly lethal viruses that inspired the movie Contagion and this was way before BVD was making headlines. There are several factors that make BVD different from your usual Ebola outbreak. Here’s what doctors want you to know about the likelihood of getting this rare strain—and what symptoms to look out for.
How Deadly Is the New Ebola Strain?
DEPENDING ON THE strain, Ebola can have a mortality rate of up to 90 percent. But that’s usually based off the more common Zaire strain of Ebola. The good news is BVD is less deadly.
“Bundibugyo virus has a lower mortality rate, roughly 30 percent,” says Lindsay Busch, MD, associate medical director of the Emory Serious Communicable Diseases Unit. “There have only been two previously documented outbreaks, and this is already larger than both.”
So what’s with the alarming death toll? Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, says it factors into delay in containment.
The outbreak reportedly spread for weeks before it was detected, due to conventional Ebola tests—which are designed to detect the more common Zaire strain of Ebola—failing to identify the Bundibugyo strain. “We are behind in trying to get this outbreak contained,” he says. “The false negative tests were part of the problem,” Dr. Russo explains.
How Contagious is Ebola?
WHILE YOU CAN get COVID-19 or the flu through infected aerosol particles, that’s extraordinarily rare with Ebola.
“The most common mode of transmission for most patients is direct contact with bodily fluids of symptomatic patients,” explains Dr. Russo. “An outbreak usually begins because someone got infected from interacting with fruit bats, which are a reservoir, or they were eating bushmeat.”
Since Ebola tends to cause a lot of diarrhea, Dr. Russo warns that viral particles can remain in an infected person’s surroundings. Contact with contaminated bedding, clothing, and medical equipment are common examples of how Ebola can spread to another. There have also been instances of Ebola passing through sexual transmission. “Ebola can persist in semen for up to a year later,” explains Dr. Russo. (It’s also not the only virus to live in sperm cells).
What Are The Symptoms of Ebola to Watch Out For?
EBOLA SYMPTOMS ARE generally divided into two groups: earlier “dry” symptoms and later “wet” symptoms.
The dry symptoms are vague and can be easily confused with other, less severe infections like the flu or COVID-19. They include:
- Fever
- Aches and pains in the muscles and joints
- Severe headache
- Weakness and fatigue
- Sore throat
After four to five days of this, patients with Ebola can progress to “wet” symptoms where they become very ill. Those include:
- Loss of appetite
- Unexplained bleeding
- Gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, and vomiting
Some patients may have internal and external bleeding, including blood in their vomit and poop, bleeding from the nose and gums, along with bleeding at sites where needles have punctured the skin.
The Likelihood of an Ebola Outbreak in the US
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS from multiple health organizations have made it clear that the Ebola outbreak will likely spread before it’s contained. With that said, doctors tell MH that this rare Ebola strain is unlikely to fuel the next pandemic.
“You have to come into contact with someone who is infected and symptomatic, or [infected objects] to get this infection,” explains Dr. Russo. “People in this country are not going to come into contact with these patients at this time.”
To stay up to date on the outbreak, Russo recommends keeping tabs on information from the WHO. The CDC also has some information on the outbreak, although America is no longer part of the WHO and may receive updates later than WHO member nations. The sources you should skip? The armchair scientists on TikTok and Facebook. “The unreliable sources are social media,” reminds Dr. Russo.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
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