What is Ebola?
A serious disease — with important distinctions
Ebola is a severe viral disease caused by viruses of the Filoviridae family. Since the first documented outbreak in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the virus has been responsible for numerous epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa.
Not all Ebola viruses are the same. Understanding the differences matters.
Types of Ebola virus
Ebola Zaire (EBOV) — the most dangerous known strain. Mortality in untreated cases can reach 60–90%. Responsible for the largest epidemics, including the 2014–2016 outbreak in West Africa.
Ebola Bundibugyo (BDBV) — first identified in Uganda in 2007. Lower mortality than Zaire — approximately 25–35% in confirmed cases. This is the strain responsible for the current 2026 outbreak in Ituri Province, DRC and Uganda, declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by WHO on 17 May 2026.
Ebola Sudan (SUDV) — mortality 40–60%. Last outbreak in Uganda in 2022.
Ebola Reston — the only strain not dangerous to humans, detected in primates.
Transmission
How Ebola spreads — and how it does not
Ebola does not spread through the air. This is one of the most important facts that media coverage often fails to communicate clearly.
The virus spreads through:
- direct contact with blood or bodily fluids of an ill person
- contact with the body of a person who has died from Ebola
- contact with objects contaminated with bodily fluids
- contact with wild animals — bats and primates are the natural reservoir
When is a person most infectious?
A person infected with Ebola does not transmit the virus during the incubation period — which lasts between 2 and 21 days (most commonly 8–10 days). Infectiousness begins only when symptoms appear, and increases as the illness progresses. People with the most severe symptoms are the most infectious.
This means that early isolation of symptomatic individuals is the single most effective way to break the chain of transmission.
How the virus works
Mechanism and progression
Ebola attacks the body on two levels simultaneously — which is what makes it so dangerous.
Level 1 — immune system: The virus infects macrophages and dendritic cells — the first lines of immune defence. Instead of triggering an effective response, these cells become viral factories, spreading the virus to other organs.
Level 2 — blood vessel walls: Ebola glycoprotein activates the cells lining blood vessel walls, triggering a powerful inflammatory cascade. Vessels lose their integrity — fluid, proteins and blood cells leak into surrounding tissue. This is responsible for the most serious complications: oedema, haemorrhage, circulatory collapse, organ failure.
Days 1–3
Early phase
Sudden fever, severe headache, muscle pain, fatigue. Easily confused with flu.
Days 3–7
Middle phase
Vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain. The body loses fluids rapidly.
Days 7–14
Severe phase
In some patients — bleeding, organ failure, circulatory shock.
People who survive typically begin to improve between day 8 and day 14.
Treatment & vaccination
The current situation
There is no approved vaccination for the Bundibugyo strain.
There is no proven specific treatment.
The only thing we can do — is support the body and act early.
Available vaccines (Ervebo, Zabdeno+Mvabea) are effective against the Zaire strain — but have not demonstrated confirmed efficacy against Bundibugyo. Scientists are actively working on therapies and vaccines covering a broader spectrum of strains. Current treatment is symptomatic and supportive — hydration, fever control, maintaining organ function.
Protection
What actually works
In the absence of approved treatment, prevention and early support of the body's natural defences become especially important.
- Avoid contact with ill persons and with the bodies of those who have died
- Frequent hand washing — with soap and water, or a sanitiser containing at least 70% alcohol
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth in public or potentially exposed settings
- Alcohol-based hand sanitiser wipes — especially when water is not available
- Protective gloves when in contact with ill persons
- Early isolation of anyone showing symptoms
Supporting immune and vascular function
The scientific community has noted growing interest in the role of early nutritional support for the body's natural defence mechanisms in the context of severe viral infections.
Two compounds — rutin and ascorbic acid — are the subject of increasing research interest in the context of serious viral infections that target the vascular system.
Rutin is documented as a compound capable of reducing vascular permeability and inhibiting inflammatory processes in endothelial cells — exactly the processes that the Ebola virus activates, causing vessels to "leak" and the associated complications.
Ascorbic acid supports immune function at the cellular level — interferon production, neutrophil activity, and the structural integrity of vascular tissue through collagen synthesis.
Neither of these compounds is an approved treatment for Ebola. They are nutrients available in food supplement form — however, given the complete absence of any approved therapy for the Bundibugyo strain, their safe profile and documented properties supporting vascular and immune function may offer some hope as a complementary form of support for the body.
Early support of the body — before illness takes hold — is a principle recognised by medicine in the context of many infectious diseases. In a situation where no specific approved treatment exists, every safe means of supporting the body's natural defences may matter.
Current outbreak — facts
The 2026 situation
- 15 May 2026 — DRC and Uganda confirm Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak in Ituri Province
- 17 May 2026 — WHO declares PHEIC — Public Health Emergency of International Concern
- As of 21 May 2026 — 746 suspected cases, 176 deaths in DRC
- 85 confirmed cases across both countries, case fatality rate among confirmed cases approx. 12%
- Main areas: Ituri, Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu (DRC) and Uganda
- Risk to Europe assessed by ECDC as very low
- Ebola has been known to medicine for decades
- The Bundibugyo strain is serious but less deadly than Zaire
- The outbreak is geographically contained in a specific region
- The risk of spread to Europe remains very low
- Modern diagnostics and epidemiological monitoring are far better than in the past