http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/04/health/experimental-ebola-serum/
By Kate and Kayla
The first case of Ebola occurred in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. It was named after the Ebola River due to the fact that the virus had originated there. When the outbreak first occurred, over 300 human cases were reported which eventually led to over 200 deaths. Since the discovery of the disease, there have been roughly 5000 cases. Though cases have occurred periodically over the years, these past months have resulted in the biggest outbreak yet. Within this most recent outbreak there have been over 4000 cases and 2500 deaths.
Ebola is a extremely infectious virus, however it is moderately contagious. Exposure to the disease is caused by contact with body fluids or contaminated objects from an infected person or animal. Typically it takes eight to ten days to develop symptoms. Symptoms include but are not limited to weakness, fever, aches, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, rash, red eyes, chest pain, throat sores, difficulty breathing or swallowing and bleeding, both internally and externally.
Currently, Americans have been developing experimental drugs to potentially cure humans of the virus. Specifically, there is one partially drug none as ZMapp which was developed by a biotech firm by the name of Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. based in San Diego. The drug had been formally tested on only four monkeys prior to the distribution for humans. Two monkeys were given the treatment after 24 hours of infection while the other two monkeys were given treatment after 48 hours. All four of the monkeys survived and cured. In addition, one monkey, who was not treated, died within five days of exposure. The medicine is a three-mouse monoclonal antibody, meaning that mice were exposed to pieces of the Ebola virus. The antibodies were then generated within the mice's blood and were later harvested to create the medicine.
In conclusion, Ebola is still a current issue and means of treatment are extremely low.
