21st Aug 2014 Now guys, speaking of West Africa’s most pressing issue, the Ebola Outbreak, some global health officials are planning on exploring a rather immediate treatment option which may be available in the least place you would ever expect – in the blood of survivors.
Some research carried out in the past showed that using blood from survivors had potential as a treatment for the Ebola Virus Disease. The treatment was attempted during the 1995 outbreak in Kikwit in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and seven out of the eight infected people given the therapy survived. Now this therapy has its own counter effects, but with an absence of any other options and as the death toll continues to rise, David Wood, leader of a World Health Organization team evaluating the approach, thinks it’s worth exploring. He is quoted as saying”It is a feasible option. We’re consulting with the blood operators who have capability to assist, so that we can get some realistic sense of when this could be available as an option. We’ll have that information pretty soon.”
This approach, as delicate as it is, may not even require the involvement of drug makers. First researchers will verify if the survivors gained natural immunity after they shed the virus. If immunity is confirmed, the survivors’ blood samples will be separated to isolate the plasma, the part of the blood that contains antibodies which help to fight off infection. Of course this will be done after confirming that the survivors are free of other diseases.