Ebola outbreak: Russia says it has developed vaccine for new Bundibugyo strain

The announcement was made by Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko. The embassy’s post said: “Russian scientists have developed a vaccine against a new #Ebola strain, Health Minister #Murashko announced. According to the Russian scientists, the vaccine may also protect against the rare Bundibugyo strain linked to the outbreak in the #DRC.”

⚡️⚡️ Russian scientists have developed a vaccine against a new #Ebola strain, Health Minister #Murashko announced

According to the Russian scientists, the vaccine may also protect against the rare Bundibugyo strain linked to the outbreak in the #DRC#MadeInRussia #RussiaAfrica pic.twitter.com/ys2HpGFB9P

— Russian Embassy in South Africa 🇷🇺 (@EmbassyofRussia) May 26, 2026

The claim comes amid growing concerns over Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa and the urgent need for broader vaccine protection against multiple strains of the virus.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization on May 17 declared the Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005.

According to a statement by India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has also classified the ongoing outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease in the two countries as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS).

Further, the WHO IHR Emergency Committee on May 22 issued temporary recommendations to strengthen disease surveillance at points of entry to “detect, assess, report and manage travellers with unexplained febrile illness arriving from areas with documented Bundibugyo virus detection”, while also discouraging travel to affected areas.

As per the Ministry’s press release, countries bordering the DRC and Uganda, including South Sudan, are considered at high risk of disease transmission.

Ebola disease is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by infection with the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. It is a severe illness with a high mortality rate. Currently, no approved vaccines or specific treatments exist for Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo strain.