American Warmonger

Potential Ebola, Marburg Virus Vaccine Effective In Monkeys

U.S. and Canadian scientists in Winnipeg, Manitoba have reported the successful testing of a vaccine for both the Marburg and Ebola viruses in Nature Medicine Magazine this Sunday. According to Steven Jones, the lead scientist behind the study"

“The data would suggest that instead of 100 percent chance of dying, they would have an 80 percent chance of survival.”

This would mean that there are only another five to six years until safety tests for humans could be completed for these potential breakthroughs in medical science. This makes these vaccines about halfway through their development life-cycle of 10-15 years.

Ebola has been responsible for just under 1,300 deaths in mostly Sudan and Zaire with about a 70% chance of a violent death from severe blood loss within days of infection. Fortunately, it has not spread to more populated regions of the world with the exception of Reston, Virginia. A strain not dangerous to humans was found in a shipment of monkeys there.

The Marburg virus is considered equally as deadly in the same manner. It also has been isolated to parts of Africa, has similar effects and has an average death rate of about 80%.

This post is also available at Blogger News Network.

Posted by aakaakaak at June 7, 2005 01:30 AM