AsianScientist (Aug. 29, 2014) – Although there have not been cases of Ebola in Asia from the present West African outbreak, outbreaks have happened in the Philippines and China before, but caused by a strain not associated with symptoms. As border control and healthcare agencies remain on alert, here are some fast facts on the deadliest outbreak of Ebola since the virus’ discovery in 1976:
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Five countries are currently affected. The present outbreak began in Guinea, spreading to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was confirmed on Aug. 26, is genetically distinct from the West African outbreak.
Seven doses of the experimental drug Zmapp were used, exhausting the company’s entire supply. Zmapp is a cocktail of three humanized monoclonal antibodies produced in tobacco plants. Two American doctors, a Spanish priest, three Liberian healthcare workers and one nurse from the United Kingdom each received a dose. Of these, the Spaniard, Miguel Pajares, and a Liberian doctor, Abraham Borbor, have succumbed to the disease.
Two to 21 days incubation period. It takes up to 21 days for symptoms to show up once a person has been infected, which means that officials can only declare the outbreak is over if there are no new cases in 42 days, the length of two incubation periods. However, patients remain infectious as long as the virus can be found in their body fluids, and Ebola has been isolated from the semen of a man 61 days after onset of symptoms.
99 Ebola viruses from patients in Sierra Leone were sequenced in this study led by researchers from Harvard University.
1,552. The number of deaths as of 26th August, including more than 120 health workers, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
US$490 million more is needed to contain the outbreak in the next six to nine months, according to the WHO’s Ebola response roadmap. The roadmap also estimates that some 20,000 people will be infected before the outbreak dies out.
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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: NIAID/Flickr/CC.
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