Cure for Ebola virus found. Is this Real? Administered on 2 U.S doctors.

Untested drugs can't be used in the midst of an outbreak, spokesman says Ebola drug ZMapp given to Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol Experimental drug had only been tested in monkeys (CNN)-- On Thursday, Dr. Kent Brantly thought he was going to die. It was the ninth day since the American missionary worker came down sick with Ebola in Liberia. His condition worsening by the minute, Brantly called his wife to say goodbye. Thankfully, the call was premature. Brantly is back on his feet -- literally -- after receiving a last-ditch, highly experimental drug. Another American missionary with Ebola got the same. Brantly's and Nancy Writebol's conditions significantly improved after receiving the medication, sources say. Brantly was able to walk into Emory University Hospital in Atlanta after being evacuated to the United States last week, and Writebol is expected to arrive in Atlanta on Tuesday. On July 22, Brantlywoke up feeling feverish. Fearing the worst, Brantly immediately isolated himself. Writebol'ssymptoms started three days later. A rapid field blood test confirmed the infection in both of them after they had become ill with fever, vomiting and diarrhea. It's believed Brantly and Writebol, who worked with the aid organization Samaritan's Purse, contracted Ebola from another health care worker at their hospital in Liberia, although the official Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case investigation has yet to be released. The experimental drug, known as ZMapp, was developed by the biotech firm Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., which is based in San Diego. The patients were told that the treatment had never been tried before in a human being but had shown promise in small experiments with monkeys. Questions about this new Ebola drug According to company documents, four monkeys infected with Ebola survivedafter being given the therapy within 24 hours after infection. Two of four other monkeys that started therapy within 48 hours after infection also survived. One monkey that was not treated died within five days of exposure to the virus. Brantly and Writebol were aware of the risk of taking a new, little-understood treatment and gave informed consent, according to two sources familiar with the care of the missionary workers. In the monkeys, the experimental serum had been given within 48 hours of infection. Brantly didn't receive it until he'd been sick for nine days. The medicine is a three-mouse monoclonal antibody, meaning that mice were exposed to fragments of the Ebola virus and then the antibodies generated within the mice's blood were harvested to create the medicine. It works by preventing the virus from entering and infecting new cells. The Ebola virus causes viral hemorrhagic fever, which refers to a group of viruses that affect multiple organ systems in the body and are often accompanied by bleeding. Early symptoms include sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain, headaches and a sore throat. They later progress to vomiting, diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function -- and sometimes internal and external bleeding. The ZMapp vials, stored at subzero temperatures, reached the hospital in Liberia where Brantly and Writebol were being treated Thursday morning. Doctors were instructed to allow the serum to thaw naturally without any additional heat. It was expected that it would be eight to 10 hours before the medicine could be given, according to a source familiar with the process. Brantly asked that Writebol be given the first dose because he was younger and he thought he had a better chance of fighting it, and she agreed. However, as the first vial was still thawing, Brantly's condition took a sudden turn for the worse. Brantly began to deteriorate and developed labored breathing. He told his doctors he thought he was dying, according to a source with firsthand knowledge of the situation. Knowing his dose was still frozen, Brantly asked if he could have Writebol's now-thawed medication. It was brought to his room and administered through an IV. Within an hour of receiving the medication, Brantly's condition dramatically improved. He began breathing easier; the rash over his trunk faded away. One of his doctors described the events as "miraculous." By the next morning, Brantly was able to take a shower on his own before getting on a specially designed Gulfstream air ambulance jet to be evacuated to the United States.

Cure for Ebola virus found. Is this Real? Administered on 2 U.S doctors.

Untested drugs can't be used in the midst of an outbreak, spokesman says Ebola drug ZMapp given to Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol E...

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Abandoned Ebola Victims Head to Ghana?

Vivid accounts of witnesses of the devastation being caused by the deadly Ebola virus in neighbouring Liberia reveal that health workers are heartlessly shunning persons suspected to be suffering from the disease. This, according to accounts gathered by the paper is partly responsible for the rapid spread of the virus in other African countries because dejected patients are forced to seek refuge elsewhere after being rejected by their country. Most of the patients, the paper gleaned are heading towards Ghana and Nigeria to find refuge in the health facilities in those countries. Orichos Neufville, a Liberian, sharing his experiences on the epidemic to theDAILY HERITAGEon the sidelines of the 4th Summit of All-Africa Students Union in Accra, said some of the medical personnel claim they have not been provided with adequate logistics needed to protect themselves. “When a person reports to the clinic with the Ebola virus in clinics in remote areas, you have medical doctors virtually running away from the people. You cannot blame them because 52 health workers have died after suffering from infections from treating a patient,” he intimated. Mr. Neufville recounted that until one comes in real contact with a person that has contracted the virus, it would be difficult to believe the epidemic is real. “It is no joke, when your friend has it, you are even afraid to assist to take him to the hospital for swift treatment. You do not know what might happen to you next,” he wondered. He contended that it is long overdue African leaders take finding a lasting solution to the epidemic extremely serious. The visibly worried Liberian said countries that have not yet been hit should not wait before they begin putting in place drastic measures to combat the menace. “Africans should not wait on the West to give them funds to fight the disease. With the little resource, they can start with advocacy,” he charged. Mr. Neufville said closing borders to other nationals and residents is a short term measure and not a pragmatic move to dealing with the Ebola virus. “Africans must not deal with the disease individually, but collectively they should be seen determined to eliminate the deadly virus in the sub-region.” This comes on the heels of reports by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) that the health system in the country does not have the requisite logistics and practical measures to deal with the disease, especially, at the facility level. The General Secretary of the GMA, Frank Serebuor, is reported to have said that the Ministry of Health has not provided the equipment to deal with the disease.

Abandoned Ebola Victims Head to Ghana?

Vivid accounts of witnesses of the devastation being caused by the deadly Ebola virus in neighbouring Liberia reveal that health workers are...

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U.S. doctor quarantines himself at home after treating Ebola patients in Liberia

Dr. Alan Jamison says he volunteered in the Liberian capital of Monrovia He returned to the United States on July 25 He plans to be in isolation for 21 days Two American medical workers have been infected with Ebola in West Africa (CNN)-- A retired American doctor who was working with Ebola patients in West Africa returned to the United States -- and put himself in quarantine. Dr. Alan Jamison volunteered in the Liberian capital of Monrovia this month as part of an international medical group.He returned to the United States on July 25, according to Medical Teams International, the organization he worked with. MTI declined to discuss details of how Jamison traveled back to the United States, including whether he was on a commercial flight. Jamison, 69, said he's had no symptoms of the deadly virus, but has been in seclusion since he returned to his hometown of Morristown, Tennessee. He plans to be in isolation for 21 days, which is the incubation period for the disease -- or the time between infection and onset of symptoms. "My last encounter with a patient who had Ebola was on July 19," he said. "I contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on my arrival ... and informed them I had been in West Africa and my history." The father of three said his daughter picked him up from the airport and dropped him at home, where he's quarantined himself and has had no contact with anyone since. "I'm feeling normal and doing the typical things a person would do in their home," he said. " I have my family who can bring me food if I need anything, and they would not enter the house. They can leave items outside the home." Ebola spreads through contact with organs and bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, urine and other secretions of infected people. Patients are only contagious when they show symptoms, not during the incubation period, according to the World Health Organization. "I was not concerned that I was contagious when I left Africa, and not concerned at this time because I have no symptoms of the disease," Jamison said. The retired pediatrician said he was volunteering with Medical Teams International. "It was very stressful and emotional to see these things in Liberia," Jamison said. Liberia is one of three nations battling an outbreak of Ebola. The World Health Organization says Ebola has been confirmed or suspected to have infected more than 1,300 people, with more than 700 deaths in West Africa this year. So far, the disease has been confined to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. One man died in quarantine in Nigeria after leaving Liberia. Two American medical workers infected in West Africa will receive treatment in Atlanta. Dr. Kent Brantlyarrived in Georgia on Saturday aboard a specially equipped plane and was taken to Emory University Hospital. The plane is headed to Liberia to retrieve the other American, fellow missionary Nancy Writebol. The treatment of the patients will be conducted under strict safety protocols, U.S. officials said.

U.S. doctor quarantines himself at home after treating Ebola patients in Liberia

Dr. Alan Jamison says he volunteered in the Liberian capital of Monrovia He returned to the United States on July 25 He plans to be in isola...

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U.S. Missionary who contacted Ebola virus flown out of Liberia.

A second U.S. missionary who contracted Ebola in Liberia has arrived back in the United States. Nancy Writebol traveled on a specially outfitted plane that landed in the southeastern city of Atlanta on Tuesday. She will be treated at Emory University Hospital, alongside an American doctor who also contracted the deadly virus while treating patients in Liberia. Both received a dose of an experimental serum before leaving Liberia. On Monday, officials at a New York City hospital said a man suffering from a high fever and gastrointestinal problems arrived at the emergency room and was quickly isolated. They say the patient recently traveled to a West African country where Ebola has been reported, and is now undergoing tests to determine the cause of his illness. No other details about the man were given. Authorities in Nigeria Monday reported the country's second confirmed case of Ebola -- a doctor who treated the first patient who died July 25 in Lagos. Eight others are being monitored for the disease.

U.S. Missionary who contacted Ebola virus flown out of Liberia.

A second U.S. missionary who contracted Ebola in Liberia has arrived back in the United States. Nancy Writebol traveled on a specially outfi...

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Liberia orders Ebola victims' bodies to be cremated

Liberia's government has ordered that all bodies of people killed by the Ebola virus must be cremated. The decision follows the refusal of some communities to allow the burial of Ebola victims on their land. Meanwhile, Nigeria says it has a second Ebola case - that of one of the doctors who treated a man who died from Ebola after his arrival from Liberia. This year's outbreak, the worst ever, has centred on Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, killing 887 people. It spreads by contact with infected blood and bodily fluids - and touching the body of someone who has died of Ebola is particularly dangerous. Nigeria's Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said that 70 people have been traced who came into contact with the man who died there, Patrick Sawyer, eight of whom are now in isolation. Sawyer, an employee of the Liberian finance ministry, had arrived in Lagos from Monrovia after changing planes in Togo's capital, Lome, on 20 July and died five days later in quarantine. As part of efforts to help contain the outbreak, the US says it is planning to send at least 50 public health experts within the next 30 days.

Liberia orders Ebola victims' bodies to be cremated

Liberia's government has ordered that all bodies of people killed by the Ebola virus must be cremated. The decision follows the refusal ...

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Ebola continues its spread in Nigeria as doctor contracts the virus

Nigerian authorities on Monday confirmed a second case of Ebola in Africa's most populous country, an alarming setback as officials across the region battle to stop the spread of a disease that has killed more than 700 people. Also Monday, health authorities in Liberia ordered that all those who die from Ebola be cremated after communities opposed having the bodies buried nearby. Over the weekend, health authorities in the West African country encountered resistance while trying to bury 22 bodies in Johnsonville, outside the capital Monrovia. Military police helped restore order. In Nigeria, Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said test samples are pending for three other people who had shown symptoms of Ebola, and that authorities are trying to trace and quarantine others. The confirmed second case in Nigeria is a doctor who had helped treat Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American man who died July 25 days after arriving in Nigeria from Liberia. "Three others who participated in that treatment who are currently symptomatic have had their samples taken and hopefully by the end of today we should have the results of their own test," Chukwu said. The emergence of a second case raises serious concerns about the infection control practices in Nigeria, and also raise the specter that more cases could emerge. It can take up to 21 days after exposure to the virus for symptoms to appear. They include fever, sore throat, muscle pains and headaches. Often nausea, vomiting and diarrhea follow, along with severe internal and external bleeding in advanced stages of the disease. Doctors and other health workers on the front lines of the Ebola crisis have been among the most vulnerable to infection as they are in direct physical contact with patients. The disease is not airborne, and only transmitted through contact with bodily fluids such as saliva, blood, vomit, sweat or feces. Sawyer, who was traveling to Nigeria on business, became ill while aboard a flight and Nigerian authorities immediately took him into isolation upon arrival in Lagos. They did not quarantine his fellow passengers, and have insisted that the risk of additional cases was minimal. Nigerian authorities said a total of 70 people are under surveillance and that they hoped to have eight people in quarantine by the end of Monday in an isolation ward in Lagos. The emergence there is particularly worrisome because Lagos is the largest city in Africa with some 21 million people. Health officials rely on "contact tracing" — locating anyone who may have been exposed, and then anyone who may have come into contact with that person. That may prove impossible, given that Sawyer's fellow passengers journeyed on to dozens of other cities and the health workers who treated them may have exposed family members. Nigeria is the fourth country to report Ebola cases and at least 728 other people have died in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Ebola continues its spread in Nigeria as doctor contracts the virus

Nigerian authorities on Monday confirmed a second case of Ebola in Africa's most populous country, an alarming setback as officials acro...

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