About

• Sudan virus is one of the six identified species of the Ebola Virus genus, known to cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans, termed Sudan virus disease (SVD). 
• First identified in southern Sudan in 1976, Sudan virus has been responsible for multiple outbreaks, primarily in Sudan and Uganda.

Transmission

• SVD is primarily transmitted through direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids—such as urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, amniotic fluid, and semen—of an individual who is infected or has died from the disease.

Symptoms

• The illness for viruses may typically begin with fever, aches and fatigue with potential progression onto diarrhoea, vomiting and unexplained bleeding.
• These symptoms are similar to those caused by other Ebola virus species.

Treatment

• Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or specific antiviral treatments for SVD. However, several vaccine candidates are under development and have reached various stages of clinical trials.

Difference between Ebola virus and Sudan virus

• SUDV and Ebolavirus have different genetic sequences and protein structures, leading to distinct antigenic profiles. This means that an immune response to one does not confer protection against the other. 
• Ebola Virus disease has exhibited higher case fatality rates, reaching up to 90% in some outbreaks, while SVD fatality rates have varied between 41% and 70%.
• Vaccines like rVSV-ZEBOV have been licensed for protection against Ebola Virus but do not provide cross-protection against SVD.

Why in the News

• The Ugandan government and the World Health Organization recently confirmed an outbreak of Sudan virus disease.
• Outbreaks of this virus are relatively rare. This new outbreak is the ninth to have been recorded since 1976 when the virus was first identified.