June 26 (Reuters) - The United States is sending doses of an experimental Ebola treatment to Africa and is preparing to distribute 2,500 diagnostic tests to help contain the current outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of the virus, health officials announced on Friday.

These actions, led by the Strategic Preparedness and Response Administration through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, are intended to support response efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Here are some details:

• Currently, there are no approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo strain, which underscores the need for experimental measures to combat it.

• As part of the response, the Strategic Preparedness and Response Management Office is supporting the transfer of doses of MBB134, an experimental monoclonal antibody treatment developed in collaboration with Mapp Biopharmaceutical, for compassionate use in affected countries. "Compassionate use" refers to the use of a new, unapproved drug for the treatment of severe illness.

• As part of these procedures, doses are also being provided for a randomized clinical trial run by Oxford University to evaluate the drug.

• The Strategic Preparedness and Response Administration stated that MBB134 demonstrated efficacy against several strains of the Ebola virus in preclinical studies and completed an early-stage safety trial, adding that data derived from its use during the outbreak could contribute to future regulatory decisions.

• The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority has pre-stocked 2,500 rapid diagnostic tests for potential use in Africa to help detect infections and guide public health responses.

• In parallel, the agency is working to accelerate the development of a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain by soliciting bids from companies seeking vaccines based on the same criteria used in Merck’s Ervibo vaccine, the first Ebola vaccine approved in the United States, which targets the Zaire strain.