Researchers have developed a vaccine that protects monkeys against a disease caused by an Ebola-like virus, that currently has no treatment.

Sudan virus (SUDV) – deadly to both apes and monkeys, as well as humans – is one of four viruses that causes the Ebola virus disease.

Although it is less common than Ebola, SUDV is similarly infectious. The most recent SUDV outbreak, in Uganda, ended in January and more than third of the people who contracted the disease died.

A team at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has now developed an experimental SUDV vaccine based on the licensed vaccine against Ebola.

When given to macaques with SUDV infection, none of the monkeys showed any signs of the disease, nor did the animals experience any side effects from the vaccine after four weeks.

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