EBOLA GOES VIRAL ACROSS THE WORLD

International response towards Ebola has being very slow if not late since the outbreak earlier this year. With over 4000 confirmed reported death cases so far, this viral disease is turning into a plague consuming lives everywhere it goes. The governments of the worst affected regions in West Africa this week in a televised broadcast have appealed for pledges made by the international community to be fulfilled before their entire citizens are wiped out. So far experimental drugs promised to be delivered are yet to leave the shores of the West and make it way down here into West Africa.

With the disease crossing borders and making it way to as far as Spain, response towards finding a vaccine or cure need to be hastened. In the US since the first reported case of an infection which was traced to a medical officer from Liberia, efforts are being made to make the experimental drugs available in large quantities.

According to the WHO report the total number of reported cases stands at 8399 and a total of 4033 confirmed death. These cases came from Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal Sierra Leone, Spain and the United States. 

In Australia a nurse who arrived from Liberia after treating Ebola patients developed low-grade fever and test for Ebola have proven negative. Despite this results she has being placed under isolation whiles test is runned on her again later next week. So far 11 people in Australia showing symptoms of Ebola have all being proven negative.

Ashoka Mukpo, a freelance journalist being brought in

 (James R. Burnett, Associated Press)

In the United States, the Nebraska medical centre which had a bio-containment isolation ward set-up a decade ago had it put to real life use since two patients with Ebola symptoms were brought in. The medical unit is currently treating Ashoka Mukpo, 33 a freelance journalist who was airlifted from Liberia to Omaha and arrived on Monday. The journalist having being tested positive for Ebola is receiving an experimental drug, brincidofvir which is in the form of a pill. The patient is also receiving blood transfusion from an Ebola survivor who was released  in September at the center after three weeks of treatment.

In the UK steps are already underway to screen for Ebola at its airport and all entry points into the country. The country also conducted a nationwide drill for Ebola to test their preparedness towards containing the viral disease. Several actors who played showing symptoms of Ebola were placed under isolation whiles test was conducted on them.

In the US, their JFK airport has been the first in the country to start screening all international arrivals for symptoms of Ebola. Four more airports are expected to be added next week.

In efforts to find a cure or vaccine for the viral disease several companies have being developing drugs in an effort to find a safe haven for people to live. One such company is already in Mali, which share border with Sierra Leone, where patient zero is believed to have come from. Three health workers have already received the vaccine to test for any adverse effect according to the Guardian. If the test proves positive 37 more health workers will also receive this experimental drugs after which it will be deployed in regions which have being  hit  hardest by the viral infection. Despite these test on-going other companies in the US and Europe which have being developing vaccines have reported that their vaccines will be available in large quantities by the end of this year. Whiles we wait anxiously for the vaccines to made available in large quantities it is in our own best interest to observe all precautions to avoid being infected.

A few hours ago, news came in that a patient has developed symptoms of the disease in Brazil. However test is yet to prove any signs of the virus in the patients system. If proven positive it will mean another continent will be at risk of the infection.

Symptoms of the disease include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage. The viral disease spread mainly through bodily fluids such as blood and saliva. Since there have being no proven vaccine or cure, supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhea and vomiting can help recovery. Health workers believe that fruit bat is the natural host for the virus. The WHO and other health authorities in West Africa has advocated for people to stay away from consuming fruit bat and other forms of bush meat since the outbreak.