So, having a conversation about Ebola, we all know it’s a
horrible virus, but how much about Ebola do we really know? Specifics on Ebola can actually be very
interesting when researched. And did you
know monkeys may hold the key to a vaccine of the deadly virus?
What exactly is Ebola?
It is a virus that was previously known as haemorrhagic fever that
causes severe symptoms, and often death.
When people think of Ebola, we think of it to be a rather recent
disease. But, the first case of Ebola
actually appeared in 1976, in Nzara, Sudan, and in Yambuku, Democratic Republic
of Congo, near the Ebola River, thus the name “Ebola.” Ebola is transmitted a
series of different ways including: “close contact with the blood, secretions,
organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals.” (Source: WHO). Signs and symptoms of Ebola can seem to be similar
to those of a flu: fever, weakness, muscle pain, headache, and sore throat. Other, more intense symptoms include: vomiting,
diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver functions, and internal/external
bleeding. “People are infectious as long
as their blood and secretions contain the virus. Ebola virus was isolated from
semen 61 days after onset of illness in a man who was infected in a laboratory.”
(Source: WHO). Ebola seems somewhat
flu-like, but I’m pretttyyyy sure you would know…FEEL the difference between
having a flu, and having Ebola, one being more severe and all…
Monkeys. Monkeys
solve all our problems, right? When we
are sad, all we want is a monkey.
Right? Well, maybe not, but a
very recent study has shown that scientists are testing possible treatments
that might cure some human Ebola cases. Studies
have been conducted, injecting 18 monkeys with lethal doses of Ebola. There were three groups of moneys, each group
had 6 monkeys within it, and each group received the possible treatment in
different intervals of time. The
possible treatment is an experimental drug cocktail, ZMapp. All monkeys who received ZMapp, lived and had
no signs of Ebola virus three weeks after being given the treatment. “Severe symptoms of the disease—heavy
bleeding, rashes and a large increase in liver enzymes—disappeared.” (Source:
New Treatment Provides Hope For Human Ebola Cases). So, all the monkeys that received the
treatment lived. What happened to the
three monkeys that did not receive the treatment? They died by the eighth day. So what is ZMapp? According to the CDC ZMapp “is an
experimental treatment, for use with individuals infected with Ebola virus. It
has not yet been tested in humans for safety or effectiveness. The product is a
combination of three different monoclonal antibodies that bind to the protein
of the Ebola virus.” (Source: CDC – Questions and answers on Experimental Treatments
and Vaccines for Ebola.) It will be interesting
to see the results when ZMapp is tested on people who are infected with Ebola,
possibly becoming a cure, or not.
Since this is a clinical trial, it can take years to deem
ZMapp “safe and effective” for human use.
Ebola is a very complicated virus, having different strains, therefore
requiring different drug cocktails. This
recent discovery can impact people as a whole because it may, or may not become
a cure. Yes, these results may seem
impressive at first, but when you think about it, there were only 3 monkeys
that weren’t treated versus 18. If there
were more trials, with larger numbers, the maybe the information will seem more…reliable.
Personally, I find Ebola interesting because while I was researching it, I found
that it first appeared years ago, 1976, yet there is still not a cure. Ebola, as well as any other virus,
demonstrates how microbes can be harmful to the human body.
Works Cited
"Ebola Virus Disease." WHO. Web. 29 Aug. 2014.
"New Treatment Provides Hope for Human Ebola
Cases." The Wall Street Journal.
Dow Jones & Company. Web. 29 Aug. 2014.
"Questions and Answers on Experimental
Treatments and Vaccines for Ebola." Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 08 Aug. 2014. Web. 28 Aug. 2014.
