Vaccine to combat deadly Ebola virus developed; found 100 percent effective in human trials!

(Image for representational purposes only)

London: The Ebola outbreak that took West Africa by storm from 2013-2016, was also declared an epidemic and a global emergency by the World Health Organisation.

It was the most widespread outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history and resulted in major loss of life and socio-economic disruption in the region, mainly in the countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

As per Wikipedia, the most recent flare-up of the epidemic was declared over on June 9, 2016, 42 days after the last case tested negative on April 28, 2016 in Monrovia.

Now, to combat one of the world's most deadliest viruses in what many are calling a scientific triumph, an experimental Ebola vaccine tested on humans in the waning days of the West African epidemic has been shown to provide 100 percent protection against the lethal disease.

In a large human trial led by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the experimental Ebola vaccine was found highly protective against the deadly virus, promising an effective weapon against any future outbreak.

The vaccine is the first to prevent infection from one of the most lethal known pathogens, according to the results published in The Lancet journal.

"While these compelling results come too late for those who lost their lives during West Africa's Ebola epidemic, they show that when the next Ebola outbreak hits, we will not be defenceless," said Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation, and the study's lead author.

The vaccine, called rVSV-ZEBOV, was studied in a trial involving 11,841 people in Guinea during 2015.

Among the 5,837 people who received the vaccine, no Ebola cases were recorded 10 days or more after vaccination.

In comparison, there were 23 cases 10 days or more after vaccination among those who did not receive the vaccine.

The trial was led by the WHO, together with Guinea's Ministry of Health and other international partners.

The vaccine's manufacturer, Merck, Sharpe & Dohme, this year received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the United States Food and Drug Administration and PRIME status from the European Medicines Agency, enabling faster regulatory review of the vaccine once it is submitted.

The trial took place in the coastal region of Basse-Guinée, the area of Guinea still experiencing new Ebola cases when the trial started in 2015.

To assess safety, people who received the vaccine were observed for 30 minutes after vaccination, and at repeated home visits up to 12 weeks later.

Approximately half reported mild symptoms soon after vaccination, including headache, fatigue and muscle pain but recovered within days without long-term effects.

Two serious adverse events were judged to be related to vaccination (a febrile reaction and one anaphylaxis) and one was judged to be possibly related (influenza-like illness).

All three recovered without any long term effects, the study reported.

(With IANS inputs)