Ugandans rue link to Bundibugyo, the Ebola virus type named after a district of cocoa farmers
Summary
The Bundibugyo virus is a rare type of Ebola first identified in 2007 in a district called Bundibugyo in western Uganda. Although the current Ebola outbreak is in eastern Congo, the virus type’s name links the Ugandan district to the disease, which some locals find upsetting.Key Facts
- Bundibugyo is a mountainous district in western Uganda with about 200,000 residents, many of whom are cocoa farmers.
- The Bundibugyo virus was first identified during an Ebola outbreak in that district in 2007.
- This type of Ebola virus is different from the Sudan and Zaire types previously known.
- The 2007 outbreak in Bundibugyo caused at least 37 deaths but was contained by the end of the year.
- A smaller Bundibugyo virus outbreak occurred in northeast Congo in 2012.
- The current Ebola outbreak is happening in eastern Congo, with over 160 suspected deaths in two provinces.
- Ugandan officials want to make clear that Uganda is not the center of the current outbreak to avoid negative associations.
- Experts say the Bundibugyo virus is particularly dangerous and has not been studied as much as other Ebola types.
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