Scientists at Stellenbosch University (SU) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) have rapidly mobilised to support efforts to understand and contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus, was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organisation on 17 May 2026, underscoring the urgent need for coordinated regional and global action.

Professor Jean B. Nachega, Director of SU’s Biomedical Research Institute (BMRI), is serving on the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Emergency Consultative Group, which is advising on strategies to strengthen the continental response.

“This outbreak requires an urgent and highly coordinated response focused on strengthening surveillance, expanding diagnostic capacity closer to affected communities, protecting healthcare workers, and accelerating research on diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines,” said Nachega. “Everything possible must be done to contain the outbreak early and prevent further regional, continental, and global spread.”

Nachega and BMRI colleagues have longstanding collaborations with Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe-Tamfum, Director of the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB), one of Africa’s leading virologists and co-discoverer of the Ebola virus. These partnerships, initially strengthened during collaborative work on the COVID-19 pandemic and the mpox outbreak, have enabled a rapid scientific and operational response to the current emergency.

Nachega and colleagues at SU-BMRI are currently:

• Collaborating on epidemiological investigations, genomic surveillance, and monitoring of viral evolution and genetic variability;
• Contributing and mobilising financial resources to support research and development efforts aimed at accelerating diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccine development for Bundibugyo ebolavirus, for which no validated medical countermeasures currently exist;
• Strengthening epidemic preparedness, workforce development, and research capacity through international training initiatives such as the NIH-Fogarty-funded D43 Emerging and Re-emerging Pathogens Research Training Programme in the DRC (EREP-RTP-DRC). 

This work builds on Stellenbosch University’s longstanding commitment to addressing emerging infectious disease threats across Africa through collaborative research, training, and public health partnerships.

Five important facts about the current Ebola outbreak

• The current outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo ebolavirus, a less common variant than the Zaire strain responsible for several major previous epidemics in Central and West Africa.
• Unlike Zaire ebolavirus, there are currently no licensed vaccines or specifically approved therapeutics for Bundibugyo Ebola, making containment and supportive clinical care especially critical.
• Widely used rapid molecular diagnostic platforms, including some GeneXpert-based assays, may not reliably detect Bundibugyo ebolavirus. Samples often need referral to specialised reference laboratories, delaying confirmation, isolation, and contact tracing.
• Although Bundibugyo Ebola generally has a lower case fatality rate than the Zaire strain, mortality may still reach approximately 40–50%, particularly in settings with fragile healthcare systems and delayed access to care.
• Confirmed cases in both the DRC and Uganda raise concerns about cross-border transmission due to population mobility, regional trade routes, and ongoing insecurity in affected areas.

For media enquiries, contact Prof Jean B. Nachega via email on [email protected] or WhatsApp at +1 240 234 0647