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Bundibugyo ebolavirus

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Bundibugyo virus
Bundibugyo ebolavirus under a microscope
Virus classification Edit this classification
(unranked): Virus
Realm: Riboviria
Kingdom: Orthornavirae
Phylum: Negarnaviricota
Class: Monjiviricetes
Order: Mononegavirales
Family: Filoviridae
Genus: Orthoebolavirus
Species:
Orthoebolavirus bundibugyoense

Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) is a species of ebolavirus that is closely related to the Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV). The virus is one of several that can cause Ebola disease in humans, taking the form of viral hemorrhagic fever.

In the United States it was categorized as a select agent.[1] It is also categorized as a World Health Organization Risk Group 4 Pathogen (requiring Biosafety Level 4-equivalent containment),[2] NIH/NIAID Category A Priority Pathogen,[3] and a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Category A Bioterrorism Agent,[4] and is listed as a Biological Agent for Export Control by the Australia Group.[5]

The virus has caused Ebola outbreaks in 2007, 2012, and in 2026, with the 2026 Ebola epidemic being the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record.[6][7][8][9]

Its name is derived from Bundibugyo in western Uganda where the virus was first discovered.[10]

Use of term

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The species Orthoebolavirus bundibugyoense belongs to the genus Orthoebolavirus in the family Filoviridae.[11] The species has a single virus member, Bundibugyo virus (BDBV).[10] The members of the species are called Bundibugyo ebolaviruses.[10] The virus's name is derived from Bundibugyo, the name of the chief town of the Ugandan Bundibugyo District, where Bundibugyo virus was first discovered.[10]

Bundibugyo virus (abbreviated BDBV) was first described in 2008 as a single member of a suggested new species Bundibugyo ebolavirus, which was suggested to be included into the genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae, order Mononegavirales.[12] A formal proposal to accept this species into virus taxonomy was submitted in 2010[13] and was accepted by the ICTV in 2011.[14] In 2023, the species was renamed Orthoebolavirus bundibugyoense and the genus Orthoebolavirus.[15]

Species inclusion criteria

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A virus of the genus Orthoebolavirus is a member of the species Orthoebolavirus bundibugyoense if:[10]

  • it is endemic in Uganda
  • it has a genome with three gene overlaps (VP35/VP40, GP/VP30, VP24/L)
  • it has a genomic sequence different from Zaire ebolavirus by ≥30%, but different from that of Bundibugyo virus by <30%

A virus of the species Orthoebolavirus bundibugyoense is a Bundibugyo virus if it has the properties of Bundibugyo ebolaviruses and if its genome diverges from that of the prototype Bundibugyo ebolavirus, Bundibugyo virus variant #811250 (BDBV/#811250), by ≤10% at the nucleotide level.[10]

Previous designations

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Bundibugyo virus was first introduced as Bundibugyo ebolavirus in 2008, albeit without differentiating this name from the suggested species Bundibugyo ebolavirus.[12] Another name introduced at the same time was Uganda ebolavirus.[16] Later publications also referred to the virus as a novel "strain" of Zaire ebolavirus[6] or as Bundibugyo Ebola virus.[17] The abbreviations BEBOV (for Bundibugyo ebolavirus) and UEBOV (for Uganda ebolavirus)[16] were briefly used before BDBV was established as the abbreviation for Bundibugyo virus.[10]

Epidemiology

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BDBV is one of four ebolaviruses that causes Ebola virus disease (EVD) in humans (also referred to as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, EHF). Symptoms of EVD due to BDBV infection are similar to EVD caused by other ebolaviruses,[6][17] which is why infections by all ebolaviruses are presented together as Ebola virus disease.

Symptoms

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Bleeding

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In some cases, internal and external bleeding may occur.[18] This typically begins five to seven days after the first symptoms.[19] All infected people show some decreased blood clotting.[20] Bleeding from mucous membranes or from sites of needle punctures has been reported in 40–50% of cases.[21] This may cause vomiting blood, coughing up of blood, or blood in stool.[22] Bleeding into the skin may create petechiae, purpura, bruising or haematomas (especially around needle injection sites).[23]

Bleeding into the whites of the eyes may also occur.[24] Heavy bleeding is uncommon; if it occurs, it is usually in the gastrointestinal tract.[25] The incidence of bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract was reported to be ~58% in the 2001 outbreak in Gabon,[26] but in the 2014–15 outbreak in the US it was ~18%,[27] possibly due to improved prevention of disseminated intravascular coagulation.[26]

Rate of reproduction

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Laboratory studies indicate that BDBV disease has a slower rate of reproduction than the more common species, Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), according to an article in peer-reviewed media.[28][29]

Laboratory studies indicate that BDBV has a slower rate of reproduction than EBOV. This may explain its lower case fatality rate.[30][31]

Outbreaks of Bundibugyo ebolavirus

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BDBV was first seen in August 2007, when a viral hemorrhagic fever outbreak began in the Bundibugyo and Kikyo townships of Bundibugyo District in western Uganda. Blood samples from suspect cases were sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where the presence of an ebolavirus was confirmed on November 29, 2007. In-depth analysis revealed that the ebolavirus was a relative, but not identical, to the other four ebolaviruses known at the time.[12][6] The outbreak was declared over on February 20, 2008.[6]

A second outbreak was reported by the WHOTooltip World Health Organization in August 2012. The Democratic Republic of Congo announced a final tally of 77 cases (36 confirmed, 17 probable and 24 suspect) with 36 deaths.[32] The index case, a hunter, is believed to have become infected after handling an antelope carcass.[33]

On May 15, 2026, a third outbreak of Bundibugyo ebolavirus was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); the WHO declared the epidemic was a public health emergency of international concern two days later.[9] There have been 2,325 confirmed deaths in the DRC,[34] and two deaths in Uganda as of the third week of August 2026.[35][36]

Ebola virus disease (EV) outbreaks due to Bundibugyo virus (BDBV) infection
Year Geographic location Deaths / Human Cases (case-fatality rate)
2007–2008 Bundibugyo District, Uganda 37 / 149 (25%)
2012 Province Orientale, DRC 29 / 57 (51%)
2026 Ituri Province, DRC 2,952 / 6,121 (48.23%) (as of 31/8/2026; ongoing)

Reservoir

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No reservoir host has yet been identified. Bats are suspected to harbor the virus because infectious Marburg virus (MARV) and Ravn virus (RAVV), two distantly related filoviruses, have been isolated from bats,[12] and because traces (but no infectious particles) of the more closely related Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV) were found in bats as well.[37]

Phylogenetic tree comparing ebolaviruses and marburgviruses. Numbers indicate percent confidence of branches.

Molecular biology

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BDBV is basically uncharacterized on a molecular level. However, its genomic sequence, and with it the genomic organization and the conservation of individual open reading frames, is similar to that of the other four known ebolaviruses (58-61% nucleotide similarity).[12]

Patent

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A United States patent with multinational collaborative recognition was applied for on 10/26/2009, and published 10/4/2012, for the rights to BDBV.[38] The patent is listed under six different numbers, including one assigned a US appellation, as well as one Canadian (CA), two European Patent Office (EP), and two World Intellectual Property Organization (WO) designations.

It is openly noted in the Deposit Statement of the patent application (Section [0002]) that the virus sample was deposited to the CDC in Atlanta, GA, on November 26, 2007, not to an International Depository Authority (IDA), which was the accepted method as established under the Budapest Treaty on the International Recognition of the Deposit of Microorganisms for Purposes of Patent Procedure.[38] According to the same section, the "deposited organism" was also admittedly, "not acceptable by American Type Culture Collection." This sample was painstakingly researched and led to the patent application.[38]

Section [0037] of the patent explains its purpose as having “utility in design of diagnostic assays to monitor Ebola HF [Hemorrhagic Fever] disease in humans and animals, and develop effective antivirals and vaccines.”[38]

References

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  1. ↑ "National Select Agent Registry (NSAR)". US Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  2. ↑ "Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 5th Edition". US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  3. ↑ "Biodefense - NIAID Category A, B, and C Priority Pathogens". US National Institutes of Health (NIH), US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  4. ↑ "Bioterrorism Agents/Diseases". US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Archived from the original on 2014-07-22. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  5. ↑ "List of Biological Agents for Export Control". The Australia Group. Archived from the original on 2011-08-06. Retrieved 2011-10-16.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Wamala, J. F.; Lukwago, L.; Malimbo, M.; Nguku, P.; Yoti, Z.; Musenero, M.; Amone, J.; Mbabazi, W.; Nanyunja, M.; Zaramba, S.; Opio, A.; Lutwama, J. J.; Talisuna, A. O.; Okware, S. I. (2010). "Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Associated with Novel Virus Strain, Uganda, 2007–2008". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 16 (7): 1087–1092. doi:10.3201/eid1607.091525. PMC 3321896. PMID 20587179.
  7. ↑ "WHO - Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo – update". www.who.int. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  8. ↑ Ali, Faisal (2026-07-25). "Ebola deaths in DRC surge past 1,300 as virus 'spreading like a wildfire'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-07-28.
  9. 1 2 "Epidemic of Ebola Disease caused by Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda determined a public health emergency of international concern". www.who.int. Retrieved 2026-06-06.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kuhn, J. H.; Becker, S.; Ebihara, H.; Geisbert, T. W.; Johnson, K. M.; Kawaoka, Y.; Lipkin, W. I.; Negredo, A. I.; Netesov, S. V.; Nichol, S. T.; Palacios, G.; Peters, C. J.; Tenorio, A.; Volchkov, V. E.; Jahrling, P. B. (2010). "Proposal for a revised taxonomy of the family Filoviridae: Classification, names of taxa and viruses, and virus abbreviations". Archives of Virology. 155 (12): 2083–2103. doi:10.1007/s00705-010-0814-x. PMC 3074192. PMID 21046175.
  11. ↑ "Species List: Filoviridae". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Towner, J. S.; Amman, B. R.; Sealy, T. K.; Carroll, S. A. R.; Comer, J. A.; Kemp, A.; Swanepoel, R.; Paddock, C. D.; Balinandi, S.; Khristova, M. L.; Formenty, P. B.; Albarino, C. G.; Miller, D. M.; Reed, Z. D.; Kayiwa, J. T.; Mills, J. N.; Cannon, D. L.; Greer, P. W.; Byaruhanga, E.; Farnon, E. C.; Atimnedi, P.; Okware, S.; Katongole-Mbidde, E.; Downing, R.; Tappero, J. W.; Zaki, S. R.; Ksiazek, T. G.; Nichol, S. T.; Rollin, P. E. (2009). Fouchier, Ron A. M. (ed.). "Isolation of Genetically Diverse Marburg Viruses from Egyptian Fruit Bats". PLOS Pathogens. 5 (7) e1000536. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000536. PMC 2713404. PMID 19649327.
  13. ↑ Kuhn JH, Becker S, Ebihara H, Geisbert TW, Johnson KM, Kawaoka Y, Netesov SV, Nichol ST, Peters CJ, Volchkov VE, Jahrling PB (14 June 2010). "Create new species named Bundibugyo ebolavirus in the genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae" (PDF). International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  14. ↑ "ICTV Taxonomy history: Bundibugyo ebolavirus". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  15. ↑ "Taxon Details: Orthoebolavirus bundibugyoense". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Retrieved 6 June 2026.
  16. 1 2 Kuhn, J. H. (2008). "Filoviruses. A compendium of 40 years of epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory studies". Archives of Virology. Supplementum. 20: 13–360. PMID 18637412.
  17. 1 2 MacNeil, A.; Farnon, E. C.; Wamala, J.; Okware, S.; Cannon, D. L.; Reed, Z.; Towner, J. S.; Tappero, J. W.; Lutwama, J.; Downing, R.; Nichol, S. T.; Ksiazek, T. G.; Rollin, P. E. (2010). "Proportion of Deaths and Clinical Features in Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Infection, Uganda". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 16 (12): 1969–1972. doi:10.3201/eid1612.100627. PMC 3294552. PMID 21122234.
  18. ↑ "Ebola virus disease, Fact sheet N°103, Updated September 2014". World Health Organization (WHO). September 2014. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  19. ↑ Simpson DI (1977). Marburg and Ebola virus infections: a guide for their diagnosis, management, and control. World Health Organization. p. 10f. hdl:10665/37138. ISBN 924170036X. WHO offset publication; no. 36.
  20. ↑ Hoenen T, Groseth A, Falzarano D, Feldmann H (May 2006). "Ebola virus: unravelling pathogenesis to combat a deadly disease". Trends in Molecular Medicine. 12 (5): 206–215. doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2006.03.006. PMID 16616875.
  21. ↑ King JW, Rafeek H (14 January 2021). Chandrasekar PH (ed.). "Ebola Virus, Clinical Presentation". Medscape. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  22. ↑ "Appendix A: Disease-Specific Chapters – Chapter: Hemorrhagic fevers caused by: i) Ebola virus and ii) Marburg virus and iii) Other viral causes including bunyaviruses, arenaviruses, and flaviviruses" (PDF). Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  23. ↑ Feldmann H, Geisbert TW (March 2011). "Ebola haemorrhagic fever". Lancet. 377 (9768): 849–862. Bibcode:2011Lanc..377..849F. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60667-8. PMC 3406178. PMID 21084112.
  24. ↑ Shantha JG, Yeh S, Nguyen QD (November 2016). "Ebola virus disease and the eye". Current Opinion in Ophthalmology (Review). 27 (6): 538–544. doi:10.1097/ICU.0000000000000313. PMID 27585217. S2CID 34367099.
  25. ↑ West TE, von Saint André-von Arnim A (November 2014). "Clinical presentation and management of severe Ebola virus disease". Annals of the American Thoracic Society (Review). 11 (9): 1341–1350. doi:10.1513/AnnalsATS.201410-481PS. PMID 25369317.
  26. 1 2 Sharma N, Cappell MS (September 2015). "Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Manifestations of Ebola Virus Infection". Digestive Diseases and Sciences (Review). 60 (9): 2590–2603. doi:10.1007/s10620-015-3691-z. PMID 25972150. S2CID 5674317.
  27. ↑ "Ebola virus disease Information for Clinicians in U.S. Healthcare Settings | For Clinicians | Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease) | Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever | CDC". www.cdc.gov. 6 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  28. ↑ "The current Ebola outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern". Nature Communications. 17 (1): 4603. 2026-05-22. doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73746-1. ISSN 2041-1723.
  29. ↑ Gupta, Manisha; Goldsmith, Cynthia S.; Metcalfe, Maureen G.; Spipopoulou, Christina F.; Rollin, Pierre E (2010-06-20). "Reduced virus replication, proinflammatory cytokine production, and delayed macrophage cell death in human PBMCs infected with the newly discovered Bundibugyo ebolavirus relative to Zaire ebolavirus". Virology. 402 (1): 203–208. doi:10.1016/j.virol.2010.03.024. ISSN 0042-6822.
  30. ↑ "The current Ebola outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern". Nature Communications. 17 (1): 4603. 2026-05-22. doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73746-1. ISSN 2041-1723.
  31. ↑ Gupta, Manisha; Goldsmith, Cynthia S.; Metcalfe, Maureen G.; Spipopoulou, Christina F.; Rollin, Pierre E (2010-06-20). "Reduced virus replication, proinflammatory cytokine production, and delayed macrophage cell death in human PBMCs infected with the newly discovered Bundibugyo ebolavirus relative to Zaire ebolavirus". Virology. 402 (1): 203–208. doi:10.1016/j.virol.2010.03.024. ISSN 0042-6822.
  32. ↑ Centers For Disease Control. "Outbreak Postings". Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  33. ↑ "Bushmeat blamed for Ebola outbreak". ReliefWeb - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). 23 Aug 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  34. ↑ insp.cd (2026-08-16). "SitRep N°093/MVEBDB/15/08/2026 Août 16, 2026 Posted by – Institut National de Sante Publique" (in French). Retrieved 2026-08-17.
  35. ↑ "Alert and Response". www.who.int. Archived from the original on 25 June 2026. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
  36. ↑ "Ebola Outbreak: Current Situation". CDC. 2 June 2026. Archived from the original on 18 May 2026. Retrieved 25 June 2026.
  37. ↑ Leroy, E. M.; Kumulungui, B.; Pourrut, X.; Rouquet, P.; Hassanin, A.; Yaba, P.; Délicat, A.; Paweska, J. T.; Gonzalez, J. P.; Swanepoel, R. (2005). "Fruit bats as reservoirs of Ebola virus". Nature. 438 (7068): 575–576. Bibcode:2005Natur.438..575L. doi:10.1038/438575a. PMID 16319873. S2CID 4403209.
  38. 1 2 3 4 Towner, Jonathan S., Stuart T. Nichol, James A. Comer, Thomas G. Ksiazek, and Pierre E. Rollin. Human Ebola Virus Species and Compositions and Methods Thereof. The Government of the US as represented by the Secretary of the Dept. of Health, Atlanta, GA, assignee. Patent US 2012/0251502 A1. 4 Oct. 2012. Print.
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