The current Ebola outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern

The Ebola outbreak reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on 5th May is now believed to have resulted in 139 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The current outbreak is of particular concern due to the high fatality rate of the causal Bundibugyo strain, its spread into neighboring Uganda, and the absence of an approved vaccine or targeted treatments. Following the WHO’s declaration on 17th May that the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern1, we outline the urgent need for sustained research into diagnostic tools, life-saving vaccines, and antiviral therapies directed against this virus.