Ebola Virus Disease

Last week the first treatment for any kind of Ebola, a triple monoclonal antibody combination designed to treat the most severe ‘Zaire’ form of the virus, was approved by the FDA . The company behind the treatment, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, has had a lot of attention recently. It is also developing a dual antibody treatment for Covid-19 – famously endorsed by Trump after he was treated with it after becoming infected with the virus. To find out more about what the Ebola therapy approval means, I spoke to virologist Professor Daniel Bausch from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He has been working to combat emerging tropical viruses such as Ebola and SARS coronavirus for the last 25 years. What is Ebola? Ebola is a small RNA virus that has been responsible for a number of serious epidemics in Africa over the last 20 years including a large epidemic in West Africa from 2013-2016 that killed more than 11,000 people. Ebola virus in the blood 3D rendered Illustra...

Ebola is a rare disease impacting humans and other primates. It's caused by a group of viruses within the genus Ebolavirus , and it's known for being highly fatal if untreated. Past outbreaks have seen anywhere from 25 to 90 percent of those infected dying as a result of the disease's worst symptoms, which usually progress from flu-like lethargy and fever , to abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, shortness of breath, headaches, and chest pain. In roughly half of cases, a bumpy rash appears within the first week of infection. Mild to moderate bleeding through skin breaks and mucus membranes is also reported in just under half of all cases as a result of reduced blood clotting. How does ebola kill you? When death occurs from ebola, it's typically the result of fluid lost through vomiting and diarrhoea, or blood loss in extreme cases. There are four species of virus in the Ebolavirus genus capable of infecting and causing disease in humans. They are al...

Image copyright AFP Image caption The largest-ever Ebola vaccine campaign was a key factor in containing its spread The worst-ever outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has officially been declared over, almost two years after it began. No new cases of the disease have been reported in the north-east of the country, where dozens of armed group operate, since 6 April. Some 2,280 people died since the outbreak began in August 2018. The deadliest outbreak on record was in West Africa between 2014 and 2016 with more than 11,000 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the end of the outbreak in the east, where insecurity is also endemic, was a cause for celebration as it had a been a tough and often dangerous two years for those involved in fighting it . However, DR Congo, which is the size of mainland western Europe, is dealing a fresh Ebola outbreak in the north-west of the country. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Some sim...

(Photo : Photo by NIAID on Trendhype / CC BY) The proposed Ebola virus vaccine stockpile can help people, especially in third world countries, to avoid the fatal disease. In recent years, the world, specifically the continent of Africa, has been plagued by the Ebola virus. Just last year, the  Democratic Republic of Congo declared its tenth Ebola outbreak , with 3,301 confirmed cases of infection in which 2,198 deaths are reported. This outbreak is considered to be the second largest after the Western Africa Ebola virus epidemic of 2014 to 2016.  As a precautionary measure, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization or GAVI announced on Thursday that it would invest $178 million to create a stockpile of 500,000 Ebola virus vaccines. WHAT IS EBOLA VIRUS AND WHAT DOES IT DO EXACTLY? Ebola Virus Disease, or Ebola, for short, is a highly fatal disease most common in the continent of Africa. It commonly affects humans and other primates such as monkeys, gorillas, and c...

Image copyright EPA Image caption More than 2,000 people have died in the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo A Congolese journalist who had been raising awareness about the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed at his home. The army said unidentified attackers raided Papy Mumbere Mahamba's home in Lwebma, in the north-eastern province of Ituri, killing him, wounding his wife and burning their house down. DR Congo is experiencing the world's second-worst Ebola epidemic on record. People working to stop the virus are often targeted. The BBC World Service's Africa editor Will Ross says over the past year there have been dozens of attacks on health centres and on people working to stop Ebola. The violence is thought to be fuelled by the belief among many people that the virus is not real, which can lead to mistrust of those working in the sector. When medics call for people to forgo traditional rites to ensure safe burials, for example, it can creat...

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Ebola workers in DR Congo, where the latest outbreak has killed more than 2,000 The World Health Organization (WHO) has rebuked Tanzania for failing to provide information about possible Ebola virus infections. The WHO said it had learned of one suspected fatal case in Dar es Salaam and two others but, despite repeated requests, was given no information. Tanzania has said it has no suspected or confirmed cases. The latest outbreak has killed more than 2,000 in eastern DR Congo, with Uganda battling to stop any spread. An epidemic that ravaged parts of West Africa from 2014 to 2016 killed more than 11,000 people. What is the WHO complaining about? A statement on Saturday said that on 10 September the organisation had learned of a suspected infection in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's most populous city, in what would be the country's first Ebola case. It said the patient had been to Uganda, shown symptoms of Ebola in August, tested pos...

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Health workers and those who may have had contact with Ebola patients have received the first vaccine Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are planning to use a second Ebola vaccine to help control an outbreak that has killed more than 2,100 people. In July, former Health Minister Oly Ilunga opposed its use saying it had not been proved effective. But DR Congo health officials say the vaccine, developed by Johnson & Johnson, is safe. This outbreak, in the east of DR Congo, is the second largest on record. The largest was the epidemic that ravaged parts of West Africa from 2014 to 2016, killing more than 11,000 people. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will complement the vaccine manufactured by Merck which has been administered to 225,000 people in the past year, according to a government statement. But DR Congo's Ebola response team have not yet said when it will be introduced. Addressing concerns over safety, t...

Find out what Ebola is, what's happening in the DRC and how ActionAid are responding to the 2019 Ebola outbreak. ActionAid is currently reacting to an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where at least 2,500 cases of Ebola have been recorded, and at least 1,600 people are reported to have died. The outbreak is being described as second-worst in history, and the worst to have ever struck the DRC. What is happening in the DRC? The crisis in the DRC is severe, and complex. It was first declared in August 2018 and is not yet under control. On 17 July it was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The outbreak is taking place in areas already affected by severe poverty, conflict and violence and, due to high levels of internal and external travel, there are grave concerns about cross-border infections. On 15 July eastern DRC’s largest city, Goma, saw its first case of Ebola. The infected person ...

The World Health Organization says the deadly Ebola virus outbreak in Congo is now an international health emergency . More than 1,600 people have died since August in the second-worst outbreak of the disease in history. Wednesday's declaration was sparked by confirmation of a case in Goma, a Congo city of more than two million people on the border with Rwanda. Here's a look at Ebola and the unprecedented challenges health workers face in trying to contain what the WHO chief has called one of the world's most dangerous diseases in one of the world's most dangerous regions. WHAT IS EBOLA? The Ebola virus can spread quickly and be fatal in up to 90% of cases. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding. The virus is most often spread by close contact with bodily fluids of people exhibiting symptoms and with contaminated objects such as sheets. Health care workers are often at risk. There is no licensed Ebola trea...

The second deadliest outbreak of Ebola in history has claimed the lives of more than 1,600 people since August in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Now health experts fear the highly-contagious virus could spread internationally. The first case of Ebola was detected in DRC city of Goma on Sunday, home to more than a million people. The city sits on the border of Rwanda close to an international airport. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged countries to monitor the latest outbreak, although it has not recommended closing borders. What is Ebola? What are the symptoms? How is it spread? Ebola is the short name for Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF). The serious illness causes death in 50 percent of people who become infected. The WHO says fatality rates have previously varied between 25 percent and 95 percent in previous outbreaks. Ebola was transmitted to humans by wild animals but can be passed from person to person. T...

The World Health Organization says the deadly Ebola virus outbreak in northeastern Congo is now an international health emergency . More than 1,600 people have died since August in the second-worst outbreak of the disease in history. Wednesday's declaration was sparked by the outbreak's spread to a city of more than two million people , Goma, on the border with Rwanda. Here's a look at Ebola and the unprecedented challenges health workers face in trying to contain what the WHO chief has called one of the world's most dangerous diseases in one of the world's most dangerous regions. ——— WHAT IS EBOLA? The Ebola virus can spread quickly and be fatal in up to 90% of cases. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and at times internal and external bleeding. The virus is most often spread by close contact with bodily fluids of people exhibiting symptoms and with contaminated objects such as sheets. Health care workers are often at risk. There is no...