Doctors launch clinical trials to test Ebola vaccine in Congo

Médecins Sans Frontières and the Congolese Ministry of Health launched a clinical trial in Bunia, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, to test an Ebola vaccine.

The trial, named Bravo, began on September 19 to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ervebo vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. This specific strain caused the current outbreak, which authorities officially declared on May 15.

The virus is highly lethal, killing nearly half of those it infects through direct contact with bodily fluids. Medical workers and volunteers are participating in one of four studies currently running in the region. These trials involve treatments already validated by the Congolese Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority. While the current epidemic represents the deadliest recorded in the country since the virus was first discovered in 1976, researchers hope these tests will provide a viable defense against the disease.