Ebola outbreak

Scientist: Ebola is brutal and painful

People in Congo-Kinshasa are “working hard” to keep going and believe in a bright future despite the Ebola outbreak, says Jo Trevor, a researcher at the University of Oxford, to the BBC.

– It’s actually a really brutal disease. It’s quite painful and very distressing for family and friends, as well as for the person who has it, she says.

Trevor has been on the ground in three of Congo-Kinshasa’s eastern provinces where the outbreak is centered. She and her team have been working on issues around water and sanitation, which are important to prevent the spread of the infection. It is also very limited in the country.

But Trevor also wants to highlight another side of the country and praises both the food and nature.

Ebola vaccine to be tested on humans

A new vaccine against the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola is to begin testing on humans, writes the BBC.

Researchers at Oxford University have developed the vaccine, which will be the first of four to move on to clinical trials.

The university says that the first volunteers in the UK will be vaccinated within a couple of weeks, writes Ekot. A total of 50 people between the ages of 18 and 55 will be included in the study.

There are already vaccines against other variants of Ebola, but since the virus should be seen as “sisters more than twins,” the vaccine does not bite the new variant, writes the BBC. 

The Ebola outbreak — it matters

• The Ebola outbreak in Congo-Kinshasa has confirmed over 2,000 infected and 754 dead by mid-July 2026.
• The Ebola virus of the Bundibugyo variant, which has no vaccine, has spread rapidly in Congo-Kinshasa.
• The outbreak has been exacerbated by armed conflicts, distrust of authorities and attacks on healthcare workers and treatment centers.
• The WHO has declared an international emergency and warned that the true number of cases could be two to four times higher than reported.
• Several countries have introduced border controls and quarantines. Sweden has sent 45 million kronor in aid to Congo-Kinshasa.