Ebola Virus - (Nov/17/2014 )
EBOLA
Ebola virus is one of the known virus belongs to genus ebolavirus and family Filoviridae. Ebola virus disease (EVD), commonly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. This virus is rare but deadly and kills up to 90% of people who are infected.
Ebola virus disease (EVD) first appeared in 1976 in 2 simultaneous outbreaks, one in Nzara, Sudan, and the other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The current outbreak in west Africa, (first cases notified in March 2014), is the largest and most complex.
The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
In early stage Ebola infected people can feel flu or other illnesses, but between 2 to 21 days (incubation period of virus to grow) symptoms can be seen are as:
a) Headache
b) High fever
c) Sore throat
d) Joint and muscle aches
e) fatigue
f) Stomach pain
g) Lack of appetite, followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, symptoms of impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding (e.g. oozing from the gums, blood in the stools).
It is very difficult to diagnose and distinguish EVD from other virus infested disease such as Cholera, malaria, typhoid fever etc.
Symptoms caused by Ebola virus infection can be diagnosed by using following investigations:
1) antibody-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
2) antigen-capture detection tests
3) serum neutralization test
4) reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay
5) electron microscopy
6) Virus isolation by cell culture.
In case, if a person diagnosed Ebola he will be isolated from the public immediately to prevent the spread.
Some care rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids- and treatment of specific symptoms, improves survival. But still there is yet no proven medication/treatment or vaccine available for EVD.
There are few range of potential treatments including blood products, immune therapies and drug therapies which are in lab/research phase. No licensed vaccines are available yet, but 2 potential vaccines are undergoing human safety testing.
There are products and treatments which are under trial phase, which can be beneficial for Ebola virus. From search analysis we have came across one patent entitle “Anti-TSG101 antibodies and their uses for treatment of viral infections” Patent publication No: US8796423 B2 from assignee Eli Lilly And Company, which discloses methods of using the TSG101 antibodies for the treatment of viral infections, including HIV and Ebola virus infection.
The present invention relates to antibodies that bind a TSG101 protein and inhibit or reduce viral production.
Fig: Figure describes association of TSG101 with Ebola VLPs and inactivated Ebola virus
There are various researches going to treat/cure Ebola and single inventors/companies globally have taken part in this revolution.
Below we have listed few patents (published application + Granted application) globally, which will give a glance view of some proven products available in the forth coming months/years:
S.No
Patent publication No:
Date
Assignee
1
US 20140255444 A1
Sep 11, 2014
Boston Medical Ct Corp
2
US 20140023646 A1
Jan 23, 2014
Innate Pharma S A S
3
CA 2581840 C
Aug 5, 2014
Crucell Holland Bv
4
WO 2014028051 A1
Feb 20, 2014
Howard University
5
US 20140243394 A1
Aug 28, 2014
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc
WHO aims to prevent Ebola outbreaks by maintaining surveillance for Ebola virus disease and supporting at-risk countries to developed preparedness plans.
Found this information very useful, thanks for the information.