No Approved Vaccine for New Ebola Variant Yet, Health Minister Ali Pate Warns

Nigeria’s health minister, Muhammad Ali Pate, said no vaccine or specific treatment is approved for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain detected in the country. The patient, a woman who arrived from Uganda on an international flight, developed symptoms on October 7 and tested positive after visiting a private hospital on October 11; she is isolated in Abuja and is stable. Authorities are monitoring 44 contacts, and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has activated its incident management system. The government is working with Uganda and other partners to contain the outbreak as doctors assess possible vaccines and treatments.