Haemorrhagic fever / Ebola outbreaks have been reported - accident, natural or bio-weapon?

[Bob]

A Sudan Haemorrhagic fever is being reported.

The disease causes Ebola-like symptoms, including bleeding, fever, and fatigue - multiple organ failure (especially liver and kidneys), fluid loss and shock (with low blood pressure).

Between late December 2015 and early May 2016, the National IHR Focal of South Sudan notified WHO of an outbreak of haemorrhagic fever syndrome.

As of 9 May [2016], a total of 51 suspected cases, including 10 deaths, had been reported from the counties of Aweil North (45 cases, including 10 deaths) and Aweil West (6 cases). No health care workers had been reported among the cases.

The majority (74.5 percent) of the suspected cases are below 20 years of age. The last recorded death dates back to 28 Feb [2016].

The most frequent symptoms include unexplained bleeding, fever, fatigue, headache and vomiting. The symptoms do not seem to be severe and rapidly resolve following supportive treatment.

Currently, there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission of the disease.

Samples of 33 patients were shipped to WHO collaborating centres in Uganda (Uganda Virus Research Institute), Senegal (Institut Pasteur of Dakar) and South Africa (National Institute for Communicable Diseases). The samples were tested by plaque reduction neutralization test, polymerase chain reaction or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

All samples were negative for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, Rift Valley fever, yellow fever, West Nile virus and Zika virus; 5 samples tested positive for onyong-nyong virus; 3 samples were positive for chikungunya; and 1 sample tested positive for dengue virus.

Further laboratory testing is ongoing that may confirm the causative agent. Other causes under investigation include bacterial diseases (e.g., Leptospirosis) and food intoxication (mycotoxins). Ecological risk factors for arboviral disease transmission were identified in the affected areas.

The laboratory results received so far do not explain the symptomatology (unexplained bleeding) of the reported cases nor the high mortality rate.

Since the underlying cause of this public health event remains unknown, close monitoring and further epidemiological investigation is needed.

The area where the outbreak is occurring borders Darfur in Sudan where at least 469 cases of undiagnosed viral haemorrhagic fever, including 120 deaths, were reported between August and November 2015.

Because of frequent population cross-border movement between Sudan and South Sudan, the risk of international spread of the disease cannot be ruled out.

WHO continues to monitor the epidemiological situation and conduct risk assessments based on the latest available information.

ProMed (http://www.promedmail.org/)


(Source)

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(from previous post)

Re: Haemorrhagic fever / Ebola outbreaks have been reported - accident, natural or bio-weapon?
Quote Posted by Bob

is it something Natural, or was it an accidental release of a modified strain, or was/is this a test of a bio-weapon?

Bill: I do suspect the third: a test of a bioweapon.

If this was a test (and the test could take various forms, for various purposes) — then there's an implication that there could be a further test soon, or even an operational phase if the test was judged useful or successful.

... maybe this is the test?

[Bob]

Viral drug summary (short list)

• BCX4430
• Brincidofovir
• DZNep
• Favipiravir
• FGI-103
• FGI-104
• FGI-106
• JK-05
• Lamivudine
• Triazavirin
• ZMapp

Vaccines candidates:

• cAd3-ZEBOV
• VSV-EBOV

[Bob]

Reportedly, it has been quiet, with a scare now and then..

A current report tho from Deli has just come in, that a man has tested positive, in India for Ebola. More details to follow.

(Source)

A man from Delhi has reportedly tested positive for Ebola virus. The details of whether the man had traveled to any Ebola affected country or not are still unknown.

Ebola is a viral hemorrhagic fever transmitted by the Ebola viruses. The virus spreads by direct contact with body fluids of an infected person or an animal. It has killed over 11,000 people globally since its outbreak in December 2013 and affected over 28,000 people.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) in March had declared that Ebola outbreak is no longer a public health emergency.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said she has accepted the advice of the expert committee that the temporary recommendations adopted in response to the Ebola situation in West Africa should now be terminated.

She (WHO director) added, however, that a high level of vigilance and response capacity must be maintained to ensure the ability of countries to prevent Ebola infections and to rapidly detect and respond to flare-ups in the future.

Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in Western Africa were reportedly the worst affected countries by Ebola virus.

[Bob]

Just because the epidemic is way way down, that doesn't mean that work has stopped for coming up with highly effective substances which prevent the virus from spreading.

Quinoxaline-based inhibitors are the newest in the search for a solution.

When an infection occurs the virus hijacks the cell's machinery which make proteins, energy, and convert the cell into a VIRUS manufacturing factory.. When the "factory" (infected cell) has produced enough virus duplicate particles, it explodes sending more infective virus particles through out the body.

This current breakthrough has identified the "break-out" mechanism, and prevents the viruses from spreading. Stopping the infective multiplication/growth cycle. And it is non-toxic to human cells.

It is also relatively broad spectrum, able to deal with Ebola, Marburg and Lassa-Fever viruses.

The primary use of the new antiviral compounds is expected to be in treating people already infected, but it could also potentially be used prophylactically, for example in soldiers and healthcare workers.

“We postulate that emergency administration of such an antiviral therapeutics during an outbreak would inhibit virus dissemination and spread in infected individuals, thus slowing disease progression and allowing the immune system more time to mount a robust response to effectively combat and clear the infection,” said lead author Dr. Jay Wrobel, from Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center, Inc.

The scientists had screened 4.8 million compounds to find one that was shown to prevent VP40-NEDD4 interactions, therefore blocking virus egress. VP40 is the protein which causes the human/primate cell to explode. NEDD4 is the human/primate protein in the cell wall which is attacked.

Source - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...60894X16306643

Abstract from the technical publication:

Abstract We prepared a series of quinoxalin-2-mercapto-acetyl-urea analogs and evaluated them for their ability to inhibit viral egress in our Marburg and Ebola VP40 VLP budding assays in HEK293T cells.

We also evaluated selected compounds in our bimolecular complementation assay (BiMC) to detect and visualize a Marburg mVP40–Nedd4 interaction in live mammalian cells. Antiviral activity was assessed for selected compounds using a live recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) (M40 virus) that expresses the EBOV VP40 PPxY L-domain.

Finally selected compounds were evaluated in several ADME assays to have an early assessment of their drug properties.

Our compounds had low nM potency in these assays (e.g., compounds 21, 24, 26, 39), and had good human liver microsome stability, as well as little or no inhibition of P450 3A4.

[Bob]

It was assumed that the Ebola issue had wound down, and rapidly controlled in the areas in Africa..

But this appears today, about a possible exposure in CANADA to a lab worker..

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/ebola-...dent-1.3841733

Ebola virus potential exposure at national lab in Winnipeg, federal officials announce/

Employee at the national animal health lab is in isolation but risk to public is considered low..

An employee at the national animal health lab in Winnipeg was potentially exposed to the Ebola virus yesterday, federal officials say.

The employee was wearing a protective suit and noticed a split as he prepared to move a pig infected with the virus, Dr. John Copps, director of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) told reporters Tuesday.

The employee of the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease (NCFAD) was evaluated by an infectious disease specialist and has put himself in isolation for 21 days — the maximum time from Ebola infection to the onset of symptoms, according to the World Health Organization.

The risk to the public is considered low because the individual is not showing any symptoms and is not considered infectious, officials said Tuesday.

He was offered an experimental vaccine.

[Flash]

Yes Bob, heard it on radio on my way back home. The poor chap is in isolation right now, his protection suit had a tear in it.

[Bob]

New Breakthrough for treating Ebola and Dengue - Combining TWO anti-cancer drugs, erlotinib/sunitinib does the trick.. Stanford Medicine.

Einav and her colleagues repurposed a couple of approved cancer drugs and put them to work fighting viral infections.

The investigators’ approach marks a huge departure from the typical virus-fighting paradigm: Rather than attack some component of the virus itself, what if we temporarily disable a feature of our own cells that the virus desperately needs in order to successfully infect us?

News release -

Viruses are cut-rate brigands: They produce nothing on their own, but rather hijack the machinery of our cells.

Hepatitis C, dengue, Ebola and other viruses hop onto molecular ‘transports’ that whisk cargo between cell compartments. These transports shuttle the viruses around inside of cells. The transport mechanisms are regulated by numerous cellular enzymes.

Plenty of different kinds of viruses have to climb aboard these molecular transporters in order to enter cells, assemble themselves inside, and break out into the circulation so they can infect other cells. So, in principle, making it harder to get into those transport mechanism's pathways, even temporarily, could deprive a wide variety of viruses of their modus operandi.

Accessing publicly available databases, Einav’s team discovered that two drugs — erlotinib (Tarceva) and sunitinib (Sutent), both of which were approved by the Food and Drug Administration more than a decade ago for various cancer indications — impede the action of a couple of enzymes our own cells produce that, among other things, by tweaking the transport mechanisms so they bind more strongly to their cargo.

Might simultaneously giving erlotinib and sunitinib to mice for several days — at doses equivalent to those proven to be safe for long-term administration to people with cancer — make the transport mechanisms unreliable for viruses?

Yes.

In experiments with laboratory mice, survival among mice infected with dengue or Ebola viruses — which are quite different from one another but which both travel along the same bus route — was greatly improved if those mice also received the two-drug combo, provided that treatment began before the symptoms cropped up.

Einav is intent on moving the erlotinib/sunitinib duo into clinical trials.

Source Reference - http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2017/0...ruses-in-mice/

[Bob]

Ebola is back

Ebola kills at least one person in Congo, WHO says

Posted on Friday, May 12, 2017 by CNN in Features

An outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo that began April 22 has resulted in at least one death and possibly two others, according to the World Health Organization.

The Congo Ministry of Health notified the WHO of nine suspected cases of Ebola in the Aketi territory, in the northeastern province of Bas-Uele, WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said. Three people with the hemorrhagic fever have died, but only one death has been confirmed as resulting from the Zaire strain of Ebola.

Officials suspect that the two other deaths were also caused by the highly infectious virus, which spreads through contact with bodily fluids.

Symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain and hemorrhaging can begin two to 21 days after exposure.

The Zaire strain of the virus is one of the most lethal. A 2007 outbreak of this strain in Congo had a fatality rate of 74%, claiming 200 lives.

[TargeT]

Posted by Bob (here)
A 2007 outbreak of this strain in Congo had a fatality rate of 74%, claiming 200 lives.

Why was Ebola chosen as the boogyman when we have far more scary ones like: More than 1.1 million people were estimated to have died from HIV/AIDS in 2012

[Bob]

Posted by TargeT (here)

Posted by Bob (here)
A 2007 outbreak of this strain in Congo had a fatality rate of 74%, claiming 200 lives.

Why was Ebola chosen as the boogyman when we have far more scary ones like: More than 1.1 million people were estimated to have died from HIV/AIDS in 2012

Probably because of the infection methods.. A sneeze, getting bodily fluids on oneself from cleaning up the deceased.. Probably because of eating bushmeat practices.

[TargeT]

Posted by Bob (here)

Posted by TargeT (here)

Posted by Bob (here)
A 2007 outbreak of this strain in Congo had a fatality rate of 74%, claiming 200 lives.

Why was Ebola chosen as the boogyman when we have far more scary ones like: More than 1.1 million people were estimated to have died from HIV/AIDS in 2012

Probably because of the infection methods.. A sneeze, getting bodily fluids on oneself from cleaning up the deceased.. Probably because of eating bushmeat practices.

I was thinking the potential for rapid death, that's a pretty big difference; more scare factor there.

interesting point of view on it here:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=NVghWiTOogQ

[Bob]

Ebola alert response teams activated in Kenya and other African countries

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 17 – The Kenyan Government has issued an Ebola alert following an outbreak of the viral disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

A statement from the Ministry of Health said that holding rooms at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and other border points have been reactivated to isolate suspected cases.

Director of Medical Services Jackson Kioko stated that the ministry has also re-activated rapid response teams and will follow up cases of travellers with elevated body temperature, and asymptomatic cases.

NIGERIA - ebola temperature checkpoints have been activated in all Nigerian Airports.

DRC - since April 12, nine suspected cases including three deaths have been reported. Six people are currently hospitalized.

ref: https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/201...ongo-outbreak/

[Bob]

W.H.O. update - 16 May 2017

As of 15 May 2017, a total of 19 patients suspected to have Ebola including 3 deaths (death rate of 15.8%) have been reported. The cases reported are from three areas, namely Nambwa (10 cases and 2 deaths), Mouma (3 cases and 1 death) and Ngay (6 cases and no death).

A total of 125 close contacts have been identified and are being followed up on a daily basis.

Likati health zone shares borders with two provinces in DRC and with the Central African Republic. The affected areas are remote and hard-to-reach with limited communication and transport networks.


Ref: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/1...7-eng.pdf?ua=1

[Bob]

The amount of suspected cases of Ebola Zaire have risen to 29 in DR Congo.

Cases have occurred in four separate parts of a region called the Likati health zone.

The W.H.O., aid groups and the Congolese government are discussing the possibility of using an experimental Ebola vaccine, made by the American pharmaceutical company Merck, that proved effective in Guinea.

The response would involve a “ring vaccination,” in which contacts of patients, contacts of contacts, and health workers would be vaccinated. There would be no mass public vaccination.

The vaccine has not yet been licensed, and its use would require permission on several fronts. Nonetheless, Dr. Salama said that if permission were granted, the vaccine could be made available in a week or so. Other experimental antiviral drugs may also be considered.

The Ebola virus is considered endemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where eight outbreaks, the largest involving about 300 patients, have been recorded since 1976.

"Brienne Prusak, a spokeswoman for Doctors Without Borders said on Wednesday that the group had sent a team of about 20 doctors, nurses and other experts to the Likati zone, and that it was still trying to figure out how to reach the epicenter.

“Transport is extremely difficult in the area, and helicopter flights may be the only way to get there,” she said by email. “We considered motorbikes but are now thinking of helicopters because we need to get so many materials there. We’re expecting to get to the epicenter by the weekend.”

source: assorted news, W.H.O., NY Times

[TargeT]

Well, this is certainly a good step.

Ebola Survivor’s Antibodies Stop All Strains of the Virus, Study Finds

[Bob]

Posted by TargeT (here)
Well, this is certainly a good step.

Ebola Survivor’s Antibodies Stop All Strains of the Virus, Study Finds

Yes I saw that article too. If this is a bioweapon (stlll haven't ruled that out), the mutation of the strain(s) is what is being collected by Centers for Disease Control.. Earlier in the thread there was mention that every person who was sampled had their antibodies/blood sent to the repository for "record keeping use"..

Antibodies is what one of the treatment methods were, to clone antibodies in Tobacco plants.. The virus mutated sufficiently that the "treatment" rapidly failed as the antibodies back then were subsequently useless. For instance I would assume that Ebola Zaire strain has multiple variants, and those are now categorized and checked for virulence..

[Bob]

I just found some research, that selenium deficiency is very prevalent in the area where Ebola Zaire first appeared.. http://orthomolecular.org/library/jo...304-p131.shtml

Potentially supplementing selenium may then be useful in treating a whole host of viral issues/infections..

These viri seem to deplete selenium.. in a depleted selenium host they take over..

Since Se is an essential antioxidant, critical as a component of glutathione peroxidase in blood cells and liver cells (the very cell types that Ebola and many other viruses prefer to infect), very low Se levels are potentially associated with oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation and cell death. Thus, viral survival might be enhanced by the stimulation of replication under low Se conditions.

At the same time, host/viral competition for a limited amount of Se - particularly in a malnourished host - could significantly contribute to pathogenesis. This could be particularly acute with Ebola virus, due to the unprecedented high Se requirement implicit in the ORF with 16 UGA codons.

[Bob]

On Sunday 21 May, the overall number of cases rose to 37 from 29. A new death was reported having died from complications from the infection.

Health authorities are monitoring 416 people who came into contact with sufferers and have dispatched mobile laboratories to the zone to more quickly test people who display symptoms.

WHO says they are optimistic that they can contain this outbreak.

ref: Reuters - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-he...-idUSKBN18H0YY

[Bob]

22 May 2017 - News - Southern Sudan

The Deputy Governor of Tombura has announced the closure the borders of Tombura and Gbudue States with the Democratic Republic of Congo in fear of the Ebola outbreak that was announced in DRC.

The reason is - "taking precautionary measures"

The Government Gbudue, one of South Sudan’s newly states, has formed a task force to monitor an Ebola disease outbreak.

The state health minister, Hussein Enoka said the task force, which comprises of other health partners, is mandated to monitor the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The taskforce, comprising of 17 members selected from various health institutions, will monitor and report Ebola related cases.

reference: http://reliefweb.int/report/south-su...ing-task-force

[Bob]

Having mentioned in another thread in Health and Wellness sub-forum, about we need to watch closely, the breakthroughs coming out of Scripps Research Institute, they have done it again.. This time a major breakthrough in the understanding and solving of the LASSA FEVER virus present in Africa.

A research team at The Scripps Research Institute of La Jolla announced Thursday that they succeeded in modeling a critical part of a virus that sickens hundreds of thousands of people in West Africa.

The model could provide a target for a vaccine for the Lassa virus, estimated by U.S. health officials to cause 100,000 to 300,000 illnesses annually in places like Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria. The estimated death toll for Lassa fever includes as many as 5,000 people.

Compared with the far more deadly Ebola virus, Lassa has flown under the radar even though researchers said it has the potential for larger outbreaks.

10 to 16 percent of the people admitted annually to hospitals in some areas of Sierra Leone and Liberia have Lassa fever. Serious cases can lead to Ebola-like hemorrhaging, neurological disorders and loss of hearing.

“Studying Lassa is critically important. Hundreds of thousands of people are infected with the virus every year, and it is the viral hemorrhagic fever that most frequently comes to the United States and Europe,” said Ollmann Saphire.