Moscow/Cape Town: Russia has announced that its scientists have developed a new vaccine for a new strain of the Ebola virus linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (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

Vaccine May Also Protect Against Bundibugyo Strain

The Russian Embassy in South Africa posted on social media platform ‘X’ on Tuesday (local time), stating, “Russian scientists have developed a vaccine against a new Ebola strain, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko announced. According to the Russian scientists, the vaccine may also protect against the rare Bundibugyo strain linked to the outbreak in the DRC.”

WHO Flags Rising Ebola Cases in Africa

Earlier on May 25, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak in the DRC has caused 220 suspected deaths, as health officials struggle to catch up with the epidemic.

While 101 confirmed cases and 10 confirmed deaths have been recorded, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the true scale is far larger, noting more than 900 suspected cases and 220 suspected deaths.

The outbreak, declared a public health emergency of international concern on May 17, has also spread to Uganda, which has five confirmed cases and one death.

On Tuesday, DR Congo Health Minister Roger Kamba said the Ebola outbreak remained at an early stage, but infections and deaths continue to rise. Around 1,000 suspected cases have been identified, with 101 confirmed positive so far.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is less lethal than the Zaire strain but still dangerous if infections continue to rise. There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo Ebola.

According to the WHO, Ebola disease is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates.

The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals (such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates) and then spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces.

The average Ebola case fatality rate is around 50 per cent, with past outbreaks showing rates between 25 and 90 per cent.

The first Ebola outbreaks occurred in remote Central African villages near tropical rainforests. The 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak was the largest and most complex since the virus was first discovered in 1976, spreading across Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.