Doctors warn Ebola and hantavirus can start like the flu then turn deadly fast
Doctors writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal warn that Ebola and hantavirus can both begin with flu-like symptoms before turning severe fast. The current outbreak of the Bundibugyo Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo has no approved vaccine or treatmen
Doctors writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal are drawing renewed attention to two dangerous viruses, Ebola and hantavirus, that can both begin with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, and muscle aches before turning severe. The current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency on May 16, 2026. By mid June, hundreds of confirmed cases and over a hundred deaths had been reported. The strain carries a reported fatality rate between 30 and 50 percent. Vaccines and antivirals that work against the Zaire strain do not exist for Bundibugyo, so treatment remains supportive care only. Hantavirus is the second concern: usually linked to rodents, but one strain, the Andes virus, can spread between people, and there is no approved vaccine or antiviral for it either. The next thing to watch is how quickly health authorities can contain both outbreaks.