Zaire ebolavirus

Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV)

The Zaire strain is the deadliest and most common Ebola variant — responsible for the West Africa epidemic and most outbreaks in DR Congo.

Case fatality rate

70–90%

Outbreaks

Total cases

34,818

Deaths

15,531

Vaccine & treatment

Ervebo (rVSV-ZEBOV-GP), approved 2019

Background

Zaire ebolavirus has a 70–90% fatality rate in untreated patients. The virus was first isolated in 1976 in Yambuku (DRC).

The approved Ervebo vaccine (single dose, ring vaccination) has been available since 2019 for this strain. Two approved monoclonal antibody treatments — Inmazeb (REGN-EB3) and Ebanga (mAb114) — dramatically reduce mortality when given early.

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