Ebola Virus Disease News and Research

Latest Ebola Virus Disease News and Research

Study shows how to slow down spread of Ebola virus

Between 2013 and 2016, West Africa suffered the most severe outbreak of Ebola ever recorded. In Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, a total of 29,000 patients were diagnosed with the disease. More than 11,000 people didn't survive.

12 Jun 2018

Data from past epidemic could help improve response to future Ebola outbreaks

Data from the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak at two Sierra Leone facilities reveal daily usage rates for disinfectant and personal protective equipment, informing future outbreaks, according to a study published May 24, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Michaela Mallow of International Medical Corps in Los Angeles, CA, and colleagues.

25 May 2018

NIH commences first-in-human trial evaluating experimental treatment for Ebola

A first-in-human trial evaluating an experimental treatment for Ebola virus disease has begun at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

24 May 2018

Researchers create new modeling framework that takes a zoonotic perspective on Ebola

Javier Buceta, associate professor of bioengineering, Paolo Bocchini, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and postdoctoral student Graziano Fiorillo of Lehigh University have created a modeling framework that takes a zoonotic perspective on Ebola.

23 May 2018

Congo to start vaccinating populations against Ebola today to combat outbreak

Congo is facing a new Ebola outbreak and the health officials have announced that starting today, (Monday 21st May 2018), response teams would begin administering an experimental Ebola vaccine in Mbandaka.

21 May 2018

Experts available to discuss subjects related to Ebola virus

Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) professors offer expertise for journalists seeking interviews in a variety of subjects related to Ebola.

18 May 2018

Ebola outbreak spreads to Congo city of 1 million

There has been a confirmed case of Ebola in the Mbandaka city of Congo that has a population of 1.2 million. This is the first urban case in the latest outbreak and is being considered to be one of the most serious ones in recent times. The last major outbreaks have affected people across West Africa between 2014 and 2016.

18 May 2018

Study provides new clues to how Ebola virus causes damage in the retina

A new study, conducted by the researchers from the University of Liverpool, published in JAMA Ophthalmology identifies the specific characteristics of Ebola retinal lesions, which provide further clues as to how the virus travels to the retina and causes damage.

15 May 2018

Mass vaccinations are not realistic option to prevent Ebolavirus outbreaks, study shows

Prophylactic mass vaccination programs are not a realistic option in the battle to prevent new Ebolavirus outbreaks, a University of Kent-led research team has shown.

9 May 2018

Mutations in EBOV-Makona do not alter disease-causing ability in animal models, shows study

Early during the recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa, scientists speculated that the genetic diversity of the circulating Makona strain of virus (EBOV-Makona) would result in more severe disease and more transmissibility than prior strains.

9 May 2018

4 takeaways from Trump’s plan to rescind CHIP funding

President Donald Trump wants to employ a rarely used budget maneuver called "rescission" to eliminate $15 billion in federal spending, including $7 billion from the popular Children's Health Insurance Program.

9 May 2018

Fresh Ebola outbreak in Congo reported

Yesterday (8th May 2018), the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared a new outbreak of Ebola in the rural northwest of the country. This came after two cases of Ebola were confirmed in regions of Bikoro.

9 May 2018

Repurposing existing antiviral drugs for multiple infections

Zika virus. Ebola virus. Influenza. SARS and MERS corona viruses. Existing and emerging viral diseases are an increasing problem, particularly in developing countries. The World Health Organization has called for better control of viral diseases, but developing drugs for this purpose can be challenging.

25 Apr 2018

Overestimation of Ebola virus mutation rates

Scientific evidence at the start of the last major Ebola epidemic in West Africa that suggested the virus would change exceptionally rapidly was probably due to methodological biases.

12 Apr 2018

Cataract surgery can be safely performed on Ebola survivors with eye disease

Cataract surgery can be safely performed on Ebola virus disease survivors with impaired vision, Emory Eye Center ophthalmologists and 40 colleagues around the world report.

4 Apr 2018

Scientists identify early markers of infection in nonhuman primates exposed to Ebola virus

Scientists have identified potential biomarkers in nonhuman primates exposed to Ebola virus (EBOV) that appeared up to four days before the onset of fever, according to research published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

28 Mar 2018

Experts highlight urgent need to prevent infections in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Patients with kidney failure who are treated with hemodialysis are at substantially increased risk of life-threatening infections.

23 Mar 2018

Mystery 'disease X' warnings from WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned about a mysterious disease X that is caused by a virus and can cause a worldwide pandemic in the near future. WHO has come up with a list of diseases that can cause an outbreak or epidemic among the general population, mainly because of the lack of resources for fighting them.

12 Mar 2018

Discovery may lead to effective research and better treatments for Ebola, other viral diseases

University of Alberta researchers have found the Ebola polymerase (enzyme), which may lead to more effective research and better treatments for the often fatal infection, and other related viral diseases.

8 Mar 2018

Innovative antibody delivery method could offer effective way to combat Ebola infection

More than 11,000 people died during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2013-16, demonstrating both the deadly nature of the virus and the limitations of the medication used to fight it.

6 Mar 2018