For scientists in the U.S., having access to Ebola samples is key to understanding how the virus is mutating, which allows them to develop new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics.
According to Reuters, 8 out of 10 scientists contacted were not able to get access to samples of the virus. But, at Tulane University, researchers did receive samples this week. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it has reached an agreement to get live specimens, but it is not clear if new supplies will satisfy demand, and transport remains challenging.
Observation of mutation and development is huge for the progress of prevention.
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“No one really knows right now what has the virus mutated to or if it has mutated,” Microbiologist and infectious disease expert Dr. Charles Chiu of the University of California, San Francisco said. Without that research, “we’re not going to be able to determine in advance whether or not it has changed to a form where it might evade diagnostic assays or might render current vaccines or drugs ineffective.”
Other news:
UK Ebola center set up in Sierra Leone – The center is the first of six which are being constructed by the British government as part of the effort to stop the spread of the disease.
Spanish nurse has been discharged – Teresa Romero will be released today. She was the first person known to have contracted the disease outside of West Africa in the latest outbreak.
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Quarantines violated because people need food – Jeanne Kamara, Christian Aid’s Sierra Leone representative said Tuesday that because services are not reaching people in time, those who are being monitored for signs of Ebola and should be staying at home are venturing out to markets to look for food, potentially contaminating many others.
Apps could be the answer to Ebola prevention – A new application called mHero, created in Uganda, combines health worker registries, patient data, real-time monitoring and open messaging systems to ensure a fast and integrated response. mHero stands for Mobile Health Worker Electronic Response and Outreach.
ThinkTank put together to tackle Ebola – “The purpose of the engagement was to harvest insights from a group of thought leaders on the subjects of emergency preparedness, epidemiology, infectious disease, hospital operations, and the training of health organization professionals.”
[Photo from flickr user DonkeyHotey (clever)]
