Russia says scientists have developed vaccine for new Ebola strain

Russia has announced that its scientists have developed a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus which is currently linked to a growing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo DRCThe announcement comes as health authorities and the World Health Organization WHO continue to monitor the rapidly spreading outbreak that has already resulted in hundreds of suspected deaths across Central AfricaRussia claims breakthrough in Ebola vaccine developmentThe announcement was made by the Russian Embassy in South Africa through a post on X citing Russian Health Minister Mikhail MurashkoAccording to the statement Russian scientists have created a vaccine that may offer protection against the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola which has been identified as the cause of the current outbreak in the DRCThe embassy stated that the vaccine could help combat the ongoing health emergency and potentially provide broader protection against related Ebola variantsHowever Russian authorities have not yet released detailed scientific data clinical trial results or regulatory approvals related to the vaccineWHO raises alarm over rising Ebola casesThe announcement comes amid growing concern from the World Health Organization over the scale of the outbreak in Central AfricaWHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently warned that the outbreak is spreading faster than health systems can respondDuring a virtual ministerial briefing on the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak Tedros said there are now more than 900 suspected cases and around 220 suspected deaths linked to the outbreakOfficially authorities have confirmed 101 Ebola cases and 10 deaths so far though WHO officials believe the actual numbers could be significantly higherThe outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17Outbreak spreads beyond Democratic Republic of CongoThe Ebola outbreak has already spread beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo into neighbouring Uganda where officials have confirmed five cases and one deathDR Congo Health Minister Roger Kamba said the outbreak remains in its early stages but the number of infections and deaths continues to rise steadilyHealth authorities have identified approximately 1000 suspected cases across affected areas Kamba described the Bundibugyo strain as less deadly than the Zaire strain of Ebola but warned that it still poses a serious public health risk if transmission acceleratesAt present there is no globally approved vaccine or specific treatment available for the Bundibugyo strainUnderstanding the Ebola virusAccording to the WHO Ebola is a severe and often fatal disease that affects humans and other primates The virus is transmitted to humans through contact with infected wild animals such as fruit bats porcupines and primatesHumantohuman transmission occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids including blood secretions and contaminated materials like bedding or clothingThe average fatality rate for Ebola outbreaks is estimated at around 50 per cent although previous outbreaks have recorded death rates ranging from 25 to 90 per centEbola outbreaks have caused global concern beforeEbola was first identified in 1976 during outbreaks in remote villages in Central Africa near tropical rainforestsThe most devastating Ebola epidemic occurred between 2014 and 2016 in West Africa primarily affecting Guinea Sierra Leone and Liberia That outbreak became the largest and most complex Ebola crisis ever recorded resulting in thousands of deaths and widespread international concernWith inputs from IANS