Ebola epidemic number of dead increases over 1,000

WHO: Already over 1000 dead by Ebola

08/12/2014

The number of Ebola dead in West Africa continues to rise. As the World Health Organization (WHO) announced, 1,013 people have already succumbed to the dangerous disease. The USA will now deliver an experimental drug to Liberia. The use of the agent is however controversial.

Number of Ebola dead rises to 1013
The number of Ebola dead in West Africa has risen to over 1,000. So far, at least 1,013 people died of the dangerous infectious disease, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday. There are a total of 1,848 Ebola cases. From Thursday to Saturday alone 52 people died, 29 of them from Liberia, 17 from Sierra Leone and six from Guinea. There is no vaccine or remedy for the disease, only the typical Ebola symptoms, such as fever, Durchfalloder internal and external bleeding can be relieved with medication. The virus is transmitted through contact with blood or other body fluids. Experts exclude according to the current state of knowledge transmission through the air.

Liberia will receive experimental drug from the USA
Liberia will now receive an experimental drug from the US to fight the epidemic. According to various press reports, the Monrovia Bureau announced Tuesday night that the White House and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have agreed to provide the serum to treat infected medical professionals in Liberia. Accordingly, the decision had fallen after a request by Liberia President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to President Barack Obama. The shipment will be delivered by an American government official later this week.

Drug is provided for free
The manufacturer of the experimental serum had previously stated that all supplies to the center would be sent to West Africa. As stated on the website of the pharmaceutical company Mapp Bio on Monday, the inventories at ZMapp were as a result of the request „of a West African state“ exhausted. According to a message from the AFP news agency, it was announced that any decision to use the as yet unauthorized serum should be taken by a healthcare professional. The drug will be provided for free.

In the absence of Ebola drugs, experimental drug is used
So far, the drug has only been tested on animals. However, because of the lack of anti-Ebola drugs, ZMapp was used by a United States doctor and nurse who had been infected with Ebola sufferers in Liberia. In addition, a Spanish missionary infected with the Ebola virus in Liberia will also be treated with the drug. Medical ethicists discussed with experts from WHO on the possible use of experimental drugs in the epidemic area in Geneva on Monday. On Tuesday, first results will be presented at a press conference.

Hard to contain epidemic
According to experts, it would be possible for WHO to endorse the use of funds that are still in the development phase because of the scarcely contained epidemic. The current epidemic in West Africa, recently declared by WHO to be an international health emergency, is the heaviest ever recorded Ebola outbreak. A few days ago, Deputy WHO Director-General Marie-Paule Kieny said: „We have a high-mortality disease without any proven treatment or vaccine.“ Ethicists would now have to assess what is responsible for doctors in this situation. (Ad)