2023-05-13 04:00:21
- The Ebola virus disease, first discovered in 1976, is of the hemorrhagic type.
- In 2022 MSD began research to develop the first second-generation Ebola vaccine.
- The fight against Ebola has intensified as a result of the WHO classifying the disease as one of those that could cause new pandemics.
The fight against Ebola remains one of the biggest concerns in the world. To date, it is one of the most dangerous viruses due to its high mortality and the frequent outbreaks that are reported on the planet. Although there are already available vaccines, there is a constant search to develop new, more effective options to prevent more fatal cases from occurring.
In this sense, at the end of 2022 the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its list of pathogens that could cause new pandemics. One of the objectives is to avoid repeating the same mistakes made with Covid-19.
The document includes highly dangerous pathologies such as Crimean-Cong hemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease, and Marburg virus disease. Also Lassa fever, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Nipah and henipaviral diseases. In addition also Rift Valley fever, Zika and Disease X.
Current fight against Ebola
Currently Uganda is one of the most affected countries because just in January of this year it faced an outbreak that caused the death of 55 people. So far, this is the latest example of a recurrence of a disease that had its most extensive outbreak from 2014 to 2016. At that time, it became a public health problem.
The ebola virus disease, first discovered in 1976, is of the hemorrhagic type. It is distinguished because it quickly progresses to a serious, often fatal state, and has a case fatality rate that is approximately 50%. While there are six identified virus species, the Zaire virus strain has been one of the leading causes of outbreaks in recent years.
The battle to control this disease, which is transmitted to people from wild animals and can be spread by direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of infected people, requires the application of different interventions, such as case management and community mobilization.
Prevention has become a pillar of this strategy, which includes reducing the risk of transmission from wild animals to humans by using protective clothing when handling them, avoiding close physical contact with patients, and perifocal immunization of people who may be at risk of infection. contagion.
The latter, also known as ring vaccination, is a strategy consists of vaccinating all people who have been in contact with an infected individual, as well as all contacts of such people. This creates a protective ring of immunity that helps prevent further spread of the virus.
Development of the first second-generation vaccine against Ebola
To achieve rapid and efficient immunization, since 2021 MSD established an agreement with UNICEF to create the world’s first global reserve of Ebola Zaire vaccines. The result was a groundbreaking innovation in which four leading international health and humanitarian organizations from around the world collaborated.
The global stockpile offers a critical rapid response tool to help combat future outbreaks of this highly contagious disease that is endemic in parts of central and western Africa.
The development and research of new alternatives that help combat the spread of this disease has not stopped. In fact, in 2022 MSD entered into a process development collaboration with Hilleman Laboratories to research and develop a second-generation Ebola Zaire vaccine.
Also read:
Scientists develop a new method to combat Ebola
Cellvera, a new biopharmaceutical company, arrives for the first time in Mexico
WHO updates list of pathogens that could cause new pandemics: From Ebola to Disease X
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