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Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have approved clinical trials of four experimental treatments for the Ebola virus, even as the epidemic of deadly disease in the newborn raises new fears.
The DRC Ministry of Health declared Saturday the clinical trials will allow researchers to collect valuable data in a country that is fighting worst epidemic of hemorrhagic fever.
"Valuable information on the effectiveness of treatments obtained during the clinical trial will allow these treatments to be scaled up to save more lives," the ministry said.
The four treatments are mAb114, which was developed by the US government; ZMapp, an intravenous treatment manufactured by Mapp Biopharmaceutical; Remdesivir, manufactured by Gilead Sciences; and REGN-EB3 from Regeneron.
Recent figures indicate that 151 patients received one of four drugs. Of these, 76 recovered, 44 died and 31 are still hospitalized – a mortality rate of 37%.
In contrast, among those who had not received treatment, the mortality rate was close to 80%.
Despite the use of these treatments and an experimental vaccine manufactured by Merck, authorities have struggled to contain the epidemic in the east of the country in the face of widespread militia violence and community resistance to health workers.
Earlier this month, Ebola control operations were briefly suspended after seven The United Nations Blue Helmets and 12 DRC soldiers were killed.
Infected neonates
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| The WHO has addressed mothers to cope with the Ebola outbreak [WHO/Junior Kannah/Handout via Reuters] |
At the same time, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the disease had also infected babies, a population group little known to catch the Ebola virus.
In an update released this week, the WHO reported 36 new confirmed cases of Ebola, including seven in newborns and infants under two years old. Six cases have been reported in children aged two to 17 years. a case was in a pregnant woman.
Although the Ebola virus usually infects adults because they are most likely to be exposed to the deadly virus, children are sometimes known to catch the disease when they act as caregivers.
Few cases of Ebola in babies have been reported, but experts believe that transmission could take place through breast milk or close contact with infected parents.
The Ebola virus is usually transmitted by infected body fluids. The WHO cited health centers as a source of Ebola transmission, calling the current outbreak "complex and difficult".
At least 228 people reportedly died. The WHO said last week that she expected the epidemic would last another six months.
The growing number of cases among children and health workers – 39 health workers have been infected so far – suggests that people who face epidemics have big problems to stop the virus.
The WHO said the risk of spread of the epidemic in neighboring countries remains "very high" but it does not recommend any travel restrictions.
Uganda began this month to vaccinate Ebola health staff in a high-traffic border district close to the outbreak.
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SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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