Winnipeg, Canada – A new experimental study revealed a possible Ebola treatment, boosting hopes for patients throughout the West African region.
The new study involved 18 monkeys infected with the Ebola virus, which manifested symptoms. They were given the ZMapp drug 3 to 5 days after showing some signs of the infection. Another six monkeys were also given a slightly different version of the drug. These were the first monkey tests done with the ZMapp drug.
Gary Kobinger, one of the study leaders said the results were beyond his expectations. Doctor Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases also emphasized the extremely impressive animal data. However, people may show symptoms up to 21 days after the infection compared to the monkeys in the lab. Thus, the experts still cannot indicate how well the ZMapp drug will work on infected people, who need urgent care.
The experts also said the animal data was encouraging enough as the monkeys recovered even after the advanced development of the disease. But they could not assess the range of opportunity when the drug is used to treat infected people because it was never done before.
Fauci added that when a new batch of the drug is available, some basic tests in an urgent care clinic will still be necessary before trying it during the outbreak. Identifying the proper dose and how safe the possible Ebola treatment would be for humans are very crucial.
Over 1,500 people died within this year because of the infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) said cases may reach up to 20,000 before the Ebola outbreak will be brought under control. The deadly infection has spread through Senegal, the fifth African country to be affected by Ebola.
Only supportive care is being employed for infected individuals because there is still no approved specific treatment or vaccine for the disease. Urgent care clinics and other combined efforts have been focused on tracking infected individuals to prevent further spread of the disease.
The ZMapp can help the immune system in killing the Ebola-infected cells, thus, making it a possible Ebola treatment, although two have died out of 7 who were treated with the drug. Health experts emphasized the survivors could have recovered by themselves as there was no way to identify if the ZMapp treated them.
Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. is the maker of ZMapp drug which is grown in tobacco and developed with the support of the United States government. The drug has been considered by many infected individuals as their urgent care near me treatment, but the supply is now exhausted. It will take a month to produce 20 to 40 doses. Health officials are now looking at other ways and facilities to expedite the production of the possible Ebola treatment as the results on the primates was a big hope to test the ZMapp in treating people.
