Researchers have identified genetic changes in the Ebola Bundibugyo virus that could reduce the effectiveness of existing diagnostic tests, prompting the development of new test kits and potentially influencing future treatments and vaccines.
The findings come as the Bundibugyo strain continues to infect people and claim lives in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The strain was first identified in Uganda’s Bundibugyo District in 2007, when an outbreak resulted in 149 confirmed cases and 42 deaths. However, scientists at Makerere University say the virus currently circulating has undergone genetic changes compared to the strain first identified nearly two decades ago.
According to Col. Dr Henry Kyobe, a Senior Research Scientist and Incident Commander at the Ministry of Health, a comprehensive genomic analysis has revealed evidence that the virus may be evolving in ways not previously observed.
Unlike the Ebola Zaire and Sudan strains, which have remained relatively genetically stable since their discovery more than 50 years ago, the Bundibugyo strain appears to be undergoing significant changes. Researchers say the mutations could also indicate an increased ability of the virus to infect animal hosts, raising new questions about its transmission and evolution.
The findings emerge at a time when researchers are intensifying efforts to develop vaccines and treatments specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain. Although no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists for this strain, several clinical trials are underway.
Last week, the University of Oxford announced a Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine in 50 healthy adults aged between 18 and 55 years. In addition to vaccine research, treatment trials are also progressing, with patient enrolment already underway.
Prof. Bruce Kirenga, Principal of the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University, says the new genetic findings suggest that some of the existing diagnostic tools, which were designed using the earlier genetic structure of the virus, may no longer be fully effective. He explains that diagnostic tests are developed based on the genetic sequence of a pathogen. Any significant changes in that sequence may affect how accurately those tests detect the virus.
Kirenga says the research team is now using the findings to develop Uganda-made diagnostic kits tailored to the currently circulating strain. He adds that the genomic information is also proving valuable for disease surveillance, helping scientists trace the origin and spread of the ongoing outbreak in the DRC.
While acknowledging that the scientific findings may appear technical to the general public, Kirenga says they have significant implications for improving disease detection, outbreak response and future preparedness.
Commenting on the findings, Prof. Wilber Sabiiti, Head of Research at the Interdisciplinary Consortium for Epidemic Research (ICER), said that despite the observed genetic changes, researchers have confirmed that the antiviral drug Remdesivir remains effective against the Bundibugyo strain in ongoing studies.
The drug has previously been used to treat Ebola patients in Uganda. However, Sabiiti emphasised that further research is needed to fully establish the effectiveness of available treatments against the evolving virus.
Meanwhile, Uganda currently has no active cases of Ebola Bundibugyo disease after discharging its last patient last week. The country recorded 20 confirmed cases during the latest outbreak, 15 of which were imported from the neighbouring DRC.
As of Monday, the Democratic Republic of Congo had reported 2,344 confirmed Ebola Bundibugyo cases and 930 deaths, making it the largest recorded outbreak of the strain to date-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
