Doctors race to test experimental Ebola drugs as death toll climbs in eastern Congo

A severe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is caused by the rare Bundibugyo variant, for which no licensed medicine or vaccine exists. The World Health Organization reports that roughly 48% of those infected die. In Bunia, eastern Congo, Alima doctor Jacques Makuta dons protective gear each morning to treat vulnerable patients, including pregnant women and young children, in isolation units.

Simultaneously, an international Partners study is giving two experimental antivirals, alone or combined, to hundreds of patients in hopes of improving survival odds. The study is coordinated with the Institute for Tropical Medicine’s Hilde De Clerck, who oversees a makeshift laboratory inside a Médecins Sans Frontières clinic where blood is tested for viral load reductions. Researchers stress that definitive results are still pending, but the effort aims to provide a proven therapy that can protect both patients and frontline staff.