The great apes that died were western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), one of two distinct gorilla species. The fatalities occurred within Congo's Lossi Sanctuary park.
Writing in the journal Science, Peter D. Walsh of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology said there had been a massive decline in the number of the animals due to the virus.
He believes the deaths are helping to push the threatened species even closer to extinction.
Walsh proposes inoculating some of the surviving western gorillas with an Ebola vaccine that has proved to be effective in some animals.
Other researchers say that while vaccination might work, permission and support would be needed from various conservation groups, donors and governments.
Still others believe the vaccine would do little to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
Photo: Steffen Foerster