INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
An outbreak of Ebola has killed more than 1,800 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo Ebola may soon be a "preventable and treatable"
disease after a trial of two drugs showed significantly improved survival rates, scientists have said.Four drugs were trialled on patients
in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where there is a major outbreak of the virus.Two of those were considerably more effective in treating
the disease, the study found.The drugs will now be used to treat all Ebola patients in DR Congo, according to health officials.The US
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which co-sponsored the trial, said the results are "very good news" for the
fight against Ebola.
The drugs, named REGN-EB3 and mAb114, work by attacking the Ebola virus with antibodies, neutralising its impact on
human cells.They are the "first drugs that, in a scientifically sound study, have clearly shown a significant diminution in mortality" for
Ebola patients, said Dr Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID.
REGN-EB3 and mAb114 were developed using antibodies harvested from survivors of
Ebola, which has killed more than 1,800 people in DR Congo in the past year.Two other treatments, called ZMapp and Remdesivir, have been
dropped from trials as they were found to be less effective.What were the results of the trial?The trial, conducted by an international
research group co-ordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), began in November last year.Since then, four experimental drugs have
been tested on around 700 patients, with the preliminary results from the first 499 now known.
In contrast, 49% on ZMapp and 53% on
Remdesivir died in the study, the agency said.The survival rate among patients with low levels of the virus in their blood was as high as
94% when they were given REGN-EB3, and 89% when on mAb114, the agency said.The findings mean health authorities can "stress to people that
more than 90% of people survive" if they are treated early, said Sabue Mulangu, an infectious-disease researcher who worked on the
trial.What impact could the drugs have?Hailing the success of the study, Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust global health
charity, said the treatments would "undoubtedly save lives".The findings, Mr Farrar said, indicate scientists are getting closer to turning
Ebola into a "preventable and treatable" disease.Fear and myths: Why people are still in denial about Ebola"We won't ever get rid of Ebola
but we should be able to stop these outbreaks from turning into major national and regional epidemics," he added.
A sense that Ebola is
incurable, paired with widespread mistrust of medical workers in the DR Congo, has hampered efforts to stop the spread of the disease.It is
hoped that the effectiveness of the drugs, made by US-based pharmaceutical firms, will make patients feel "more comfortable about seeking
care early", said Dr Fauci.
But the best way to end the outbreak, he added, is "with a good vaccine"
A vaccine is a type of medicine that improves immunity to a particular disease.How serious is the DR Congo outbreak?The current outbreak in
eastern DR Congo began in August last year and is the biggest of the 10 to hit the country since 1976, when the virus was first
discovered.
In July, the WHO declared the Ebola crisis in the country a "public health emergency of international concern".But it is
dwarfed by the West African epidemic of 2014-16, which affected 28,616 people, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone
About 11,310 people died in what was the largest outbreak of the virus ever recorded.
However, attempts to contain the latest outbreak are
In particular, militia group violence and suspicion towards foreign medical assistance have hindered efforts.Earlier this month, three
Congolese doctors were arrested in DR Congo over the killing of a WHO medic.About 200 health facilities have been attacked in the country
this year, causing disruption to vaccinations and treatments
In one incident, family members assaulted health workers who were overseeing the burial of their relative.A 2018 study published in the
Lancet medical journal says "belief in misinformation was widespread" concerning the Ebola outbreak.
What is Ebola?
Ebola is a virus that
initially causes sudden fever, intense weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat It progresses to vomiting, diarrhoea and both internal and
external bleedingPeople are infected when they have direct contact through broken skin, or the mouth and nose, with the blood, vomit, faeces
or bodily fluids of someone with EbolaPatients tend to die from dehydration and multiple organ failure
