Sudan Virus Disease in Uganda, 2025
In early 2025, Uganda faced its fifth outbreak of Sudan virus disease. What followed was a response notable not only for how quickly the virus was contained, but for the unusually low death toll it produced — an outcome that offers real insight for how emerging epidemic threats can be
Remdesivir triphosphate as a potential repurposed drug against the emerging Bundibugyo Ebolavirus 2026
When an outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease erupted across the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda in May 2026, clinicians faced an urgent problem: there were no proven treatments. Two monoclonal antibodies existed for Zaire Ebola, but Bundibugyo virus is a different species—and the evidence from those other Ebolavirus
Genome-wide dynamics of emerging viral diseases
Emerging viral diseases rarely arise from nowhere. Most originate in animal reservoirs—wild or domestic species where the virus persists without causing severe disease. Yet identifying which animal populations might harbour a dangerous pathogen, or which new host a virus might successfully invade, remains extraordinarily difficult. Field-based ecological mapping is expensive,
Cross-Border Transmission of Bundibugyo Virus into Uganda, 2026
In May 2026, two travellers who had fallen ill in the Democratic Republic of the Congo crossed into Uganda seeking advanced medical care — and in doing so, carried Ebola disease caused by Bundibugyo virus into Kampala. It marked Uganda’s second recognised outbreak of this virus since 2007, and prompted
Mpox Epidemics: A Call to Restore Humanity’s Lost Herd Immunity to Orthopoxviruses
Orthopoxviruses are a group of zoonotic, phylogenetically related, double-stranded DNA viruses. The genus Orthopoxvirus belongs to the family Poxviridae, under which there are several genera, including Parapoxvirus, Avipoxvirus, Capripoxvirus, Leporipoxvirus, Suipoxvirus, Molluscipoxvirus, and Yatapoxvirus. Historically, the most widely reported infection caused by an Orthopoxvirus is smallpox—a disease of humans from
High prevalence and non-suppression of HIV/AIDS in the East and Central African region heightens risk of severe outcomes for Clade I monkeypox virus infection, and may be a driver for subsequent adaptation
In September 2023, a re-emergence of mpox was noted in the province of South Kivu, in DR Congo. So far, active transmission has been reported in 23 of the 26 provinces. Despite localisation within DRC, there are emerging concerns about possibility of cross-border transmission. In this perspective, we highlight the
Leveraging an epidemic to establish vaccine clinical trial capacity in a low resource setting: the Ugandan experience
Pandemics are becoming increasingly frequent, driven by global mobility, rapid urbanization, climate change, and heightened human–animal interaction. Despite experiencing a high burden of infectious disease outbreaks, Sub-Saharan Africa remains underrepresented in vaccine research and development. Most vaccines are designed, tested, and validated outside the continent, largely due to limited visibility
Vaccines on the Fast Track: The Race Against Epidemics
Vaccine development is often a race against time in an outbreak. This publication looks at the scientific innovations and accelerated processes that help researchers create, test, and distribute vaccines rapidly in response to emerging epidemics.
