Muscat: Russian scientists have developed a new vaccine candidate that stimulates a strong immune response and provides protection against the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus responsible for the current outbreak in Africa, Denis Logunov, Head of lab, Gamaleya Research Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology has announced. According to Oman News Agency, Logunov stated that the centre had developed prototype vaccines that demonstrated protective efficacy in surrogate tests using simplified viral variants. He noted that these variants closely match the original virus and represent an important first step towards establishing the vaccine's viability. Continued work requires a decision on the vaccine's necessity and access to a sample of the pathogen currently circulating in Africa, Logunov said, adding that the centre is ready to proceed if African authorities express genuine interest and provide the necessary information. Andrei Prodeus, chief paediatric allergist and immunologist, explained that th e mechanism for proving efficacy against a difficult-to-access infection involves creating an artificial model using a surrogate virus manufactured in the laboratory.