Ebola Virus Disease

KINSHASA/NEW YORK, 30 January 2019 – Since the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was declared six months ago on 1 st August 2018, more than 740 people – 30 per cent of whom are children – have been infected with the disease, including over 460 who have died, and 258 that have survived Ebola. Alongside the Government and partners, UNICEF is scaling up its response to assist victims, control the spread of the disease and ultimately end the deadly outbreak.   This is the 10 th Ebola outbreak in the DRC and the country’s worst. It is also the world’s second largest Ebola outbreak in history after the one in West Africa in 2014-2016. The response to this latest outbreak continues to be hampered by insecurity, frequent movement of people in the affected areas, and resistance from some communities. "While we have been able to largely control the disease in Mangina, Beni and Komanda, the virus continues to spread in the Butembo area, largely bec...

South Sudan on Monday began vaccinating its health workers and other front-line responders against Ebola amid fears the deadly disease could spread across the border from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, health officials said. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is battling one of the world's worst Ebola outbreaks . The two provinces in the country where cases have been reported share porous borders with South Sudan as well as Uganda and Rwanda, raising the risk of regional spread . Neighboring nations have not reported any cases but "preparedness is crucial," according to a press release from the World Health Organization , the global health arm of the United Nations. South Sudan received 2,160 doses of the yet-to-be-licensed Ebola vaccine, which was developed by American pharmaceutical company Merck and protects against the Zaire strain of the virus that's currently affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With support from the WHO and other in...

The number of people infected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ebola outbreak grew by nine today, as health officials in the neighboring Haut Uele province took steps to prevent the spread of a disease from a resident who was exposed to the virus in Katwa. Spike in Katwa cases continues Of the nine newly confirmed cases announced today by the DRC health ministry, eight are in Katwa, the current hot spot where authorities face complex challenges, including insecurity, community resistance, and the after effects of a response slowdown in late December caused by election-related protests. The other case is in Beni. Investigations are under way into 187 suspected Ebola cases. Today's developments push the outbreak total to 752 cases, including 698 confirmed and 54 probable cases. The health ministry also said 4 more people died from their Ebola infections, 3 of them in community settings in Katwa and 1 in the Butembo Ebola treatment center. The new fatalities lift the...

HOLDEN, Mass. (AP) — Almost five years have passed since he nearly died of Ebola in Liberia, but Richard Sacra has never wavered from his commitment to the struggling West African nation. The 56-year-old family doctor from Massachusetts was among a handful of Americans treated and cured of Ebola during West Africa’s deadly epidemic in 2014, which was the worst ever outbreak of the virus, claiming more than 11,000 lives over two years, primarily in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Sacra contracted the virus while delivering babies at ELWA, a missionary hospital in the Liberian capital of Monrovia where he’s worked for more than two decades. He was evacuated and treated in Omaha, Nebraska, but within months, Sacra was back at ELWA — which stands for “Eternal Love Winning Africa” — treating patients. The devout Christian, who says he dreamed of becoming a missionary since he was a child, hasn’t stopped going back since. Most Read Local Stories “It’s our adopted home,” Sacra said...

by SBG San Antonio Staff Reports A team of scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute have found a missing piece of the puzzle that is the Ebola virus. (SBG San Antonio) SAN ANTONIO - A team of scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute have found a missing piece of the puzzle that is the Ebola virus. They investigated the interaction between a protein in the Ebola virus and a protein in human cells. They found out what kind of interaction caused the virus to quickly replicate or intensify in the body. A Texas Biomed doctor says this work is a turning point for understanding how the Ebola virus is modulated. Texas Biomed has one of only a few biosafety level 4 labs in the country where scientists can work with viruses like Ebola. Right now, there is no known cure for Ebola, and has a 90 percent mortality rate, but doctors say, with research, they hope to manipulate Ebola virus proteins and at least stop it from progressing. http://bit.ly/2DLXtEC

HOLDEN – Dr. Rick Sacra is a long way from his home in Liberia, and there’s a lot to do. Catching up with family is high on the list for the Wayland native, and so is a trip to New York City where he will receive the Gerson L’Chaim Award on Thursday, along with its $500,000 prize. Sitting in the living room of his Holden residence - his base when he’s back in the states visiting family and friends, including his father and brother, who live in Wayland - Dr. Sacra said the $500,000 is a “little overwhelming, to be honest.” The award honors Dr. Sacra for his decades-long work at Eternal Love Winning Africa Hospital in Paynesville, Liberia. He has treated countless patients as a family physician, and it is also where he contracted the deadly Ebola virus in 2014. After spending three weeks in isolation at a Nebraska hospital, followed by several months of recuperation in Holden, Dr. Sacra beat the disease and eventually made it back to ELWA. “This is a second chance to finish the work...

Owen Dyer Montreal, Canada Political unrest over the Democratic Republic of Congo’s recent election as well as continued guerrilla activity in the country’s north east have hampered the response to an Ebola epidemic that has now killed 446 people out of 733 infected. The World Health Organisation said that protesters targeted dozens of clinics around disease hotspots like Beni and Butembo, where they are often seen as outposts of the central government. Election unrest also sent thousands of Congolese fleeing into neighbouring Uganda, as WHO warned that the virus might spread not only there, but … http://bit.ly/2DKzWEp

Here’s some background information about Ebola , a virus with a high fatality rate that was first identified in Africa in 1976. Facts: Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by one of five different Ebola viruses. Four of the strains can cause severe illness in humans and animals. The fifth, Reston virus, has caused illness in some animals, but not in humans. The first human outbreaks occurred in 1976, one in northern Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo ) in central Africa: and the other, in southern Sudan (now South Sudan) . The virus is named after the Ebola River, where the virus was first recognized in 1976, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ebola is extremely infectious but not extremely contagious. It is infectious, because an infinitesimally small amount can cause illness. Laboratory experiments on nonhuman primates suggest that even a single virus may be enough to trigger a fatal infection. Ebola could be considered moderately...

The World Health Organization says Congo's current Ebola outbreak is spreading into an area where fighting may make it dangerous for health workers. The  World Health Organization  says the Democratic Republic of Congo's Ebola outbreak has moved into a high-security-risk area.  Health officials  have been working to contain the disease, which has killed more than 400 people since it the outbreak began in August.  But a number of issues have fueled the spread of Ebola, including violence and vaccine resistance.  Now, the WHO says the virus is making its way into the  Kayina region . Rebel and militia fighting there makes it difficult for response teams to monitor the situation and prevent people from coming into contact with the disease.  Earlier this month, a  WHO official  called the situation "the most complicated setting we've ever experienced" and said it would take at least six months to get the outbreak under control.  ...

Here’s some background information about Ebola , a virus with a high fatality rate that was first identified in Africa in 1976. Facts: Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by one of five different Ebola viruses. Four of the strains can cause severe illness in humans and animals. The fifth, Reston virus, has caused illness in some animals, but not in humans. The first human outbreaks occurred in 1976, one in northern Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo ) in central Africa: and the other, in southern Sudan (now South Sudan) . The virus is named after the Ebola River, where the virus was first recognized in 1976, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ebola is extremely infectious but not extremely contagious. It is infectious, because an infinitesimally small amount can cause illness. Laboratory experiments on nonhuman primates suggest that even a single virus may be enough to trigger a fatal infection. Ebola could be considered moderately...

South Sudan on Monday began vaccinating its health workers and other front-line responders against Ebola amid fears the deadly disease could spread across the border from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, health officials said. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is battling one of the world's worst Ebola outbreaks . The two provinces in the country where cases have been reported share porous borders with South Sudan as well as Uganda and Rwanda, raising the risk of regional spread . Neighboring nations have not reported any cases but "preparedness is crucial," according to a press release from the World Health Organization , the global health arm of the United Nations. South Sudan received 2,160 doses of the yet-to-be-licensed Ebola vaccine, which was developed by American pharmaceutical company Merck and protects against the Zaire strain of the virus that's currently affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With support from the WHO and other in...

Written by Megan Knowles | January 29, 2019 | Print  | Email Cincinnati Children's Hospital is starting a clinical trial of vaccines against Ebola. The study is sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. Cincinnati Children's is one of nine funded vaccine and treatment evaluation units. The trial will test two experimental vaccines together for their safety and ability to produce an immune response in healthy volunteer participants. This study will enroll up to 60 volunteers 18 to 45 years old, who will be monitored closely for adverse events for six months after initial vaccination during at least 12 clinic visits. During the clinic visits, the volunteers will get blood tests to assess potential immune responses to both experimental vaccines. Each volunteer will participate in the trial for about seven months. "Researchers are looking for new ways to stop these outbreaks and to treat ...

Here’s some background information about Ebola , a virus with a high fatality rate that was first identified in Africa in 1976. Facts: Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a disease caused by one of five different Ebola viruses. Four of the strains can cause severe illness in humans and animals. The fifth, Reston virus, has caused illness in some animals, but not in humans. The first human outbreaks occurred in 1976, one in northern Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo ) in central Africa: and the other, in southern Sudan (now South Sudan) . The virus is named after the Ebola River, where the virus was first recognized in 1976, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ebola is extremely infectious but not extremely contagious. It is infectious, because an infinitesimally small amount can cause illness. Laboratory experiments on nonhuman primates suggest that even a single virus may be enough to trigger a fatal infection. Ebola could be considered moderately...

BENI, DR Congo - Two soldiers in eastern DR Congo have died after catching Ebola in an outbreak that has killed hundreds in the region, army and health sources said on Tuesday. "Two of our soldiers have died from the Ebola virus in Beni. Three others are under observation," army spokesperson Major Mak Hazukay told AFP. "All measures have been taken to stop the troops from being contaminated," he added. The deaths of the soldiers brought the total toll to 459 recorded deaths, according to official figures, and highlighted the challenge of controlling the epidemic in the strife-torn east. Doctor Michel Tosalisa, in charge of the affected Beni region, confirmed two soldiers were among the latest Ebola victims. In eastern and northern parts of the DR Congo, 682 confirmed cases of Ebola have been recorded and 54 probable cases, the health ministry said on Monday. From the 459 Ebola deaths recorded, 405 were confirmed and 54 probable. Medics have managed to save 257 peop...