During the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, patients receive care and take part in a treatment trial

During the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, patients receive care and take part in a treatment trial

The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting PARTNERS, a trial that compares treatment options in people with Bundibugyo virus disease while continuing to provide standard medical care. At the University of Oxford, a separate team has begun an early trial of a candidate vaccine in volunteers.

On 17 August, epidemiologist Devi Sridhar wrote in a column for The Guardian that, by her estimate, the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had reached at least 4,900 cases and caused more than 2,300 deaths. She attributes the severity of the situation to delayed recognition of the disease, the conflict in Ituri, and a weakened international response.

WHO is supporting PARTNERS, a trial that randomly assigns patients with confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease to different antiviral treatment options. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the trial is coordinated by the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB), a research center within the country’s Ministry of Health. All participants receive standard medical care and are followed for at least 28 days. This allows researchers to compare which treatment regimen is more effective at helping patients survive.

“Research must be conducted as part of the outbreak response, not after it,” said Amanda Rojek, head of operations for PARTNERS.

The vaccine is being tested separately. On 24 July, the first volunteer at the University of Oxford received ChAdOx1 BDBV, a candidate vaccine against Bundibugyo virus. In the first stage, the team is assessing its safety and the immune response in volunteers. Meanwhile, treatments are being studied in patients within the outbreak area.

Whether a patient can enroll in the trial also depends on how quickly they reach a medical team. In the areas most affected by the outbreak, the number of people seeking medical care has fallen by more than 40%, the UN reported. About 13,000 community health workers are visiting homes and encouraging people to seek care early in the course of the disease. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, a patient may enroll in PARTNERS. The patient continues to receive care while the trial compares the treatment options.