U.N Says Ebola Outbreak Could Be Gone By the Summer

Medicine & Technology Mar 23, 2015

Exactly one year ago today, on March 23, 2014, the World Health Organization announced there was an Ebola outbreak in Guinea. At that point, there were 49 cases of Ebola that had resulted in the deaths of 29 people from the disease. Since the outbreak, Ebola has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people in West Africa. But, the United Nations now believes that the Ebola outbreak could be gone by the end of August.

In the Wake of Ebola—H7N9 Influenza Has Spread in Secret

Mar 13, 2015

In the wake of the Ebola pandemic, researchers in China have identified a virus capable of global infection that has been mutating and brewing on the sidelines. A strain of the avian influenza, the H7N9 flu emerged in eastern China in Feb. 2013 in a small population with a mortality rate of roughly 33%. But over the last year, since it reemerged in October 2013, the virus has been spreading steadily, and mutating along the way. Now public health officials fear that the growing viral infection may soon reach the levels much like the Ebola outbreak, and it is something that researchers are heavily investigating.

What Tactics Can Help You Survive A Zombie Apocalypse? Researchers Have the Answer

Mar 08, 2015

Think that you’ve got what it takes to survive a zombie apocalypse? Well you may be right. But if you’re training in the city, a new study may reveal that your survival rate is significantly affected, in the event that a zombie-like infection were on the loose.

How Arachnids May Reveal Looming New Threats to American Public Health—Bourbon Virus

Feb 21, 2015

While these little arachnids are not much to look at, ticks are the carriers of a myriad of diseases, which makes them of great importance to researchers. History has shown that they can cause sepsis, this past summer researchers discovered that the Lone Star tick can create a severe allergy to red meats, and now health officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that a new tick-borne virus can even cause multiple organ failure.

When It Comes to Pandemics and Outbreaks, Could Climate Change Be to Blame?

Feb 19, 2015

While many factors play into the development of a viral or bacterial outbreak, including herd immunity and preexisting healthcare practices, current outbreaks of the Ebola virus and the measles have many wondering exactly what’s causing the reemergence of such lethal diseases. Well, the obvious answers of vaccinations and poor sanitation conditions are readily available, but many may not consider an even more significant culprit—climate change.

Healthcare Workers Attacked in Guinea as Locals Give Ebola the Upper Hand

Feb 14, 2015

In light of news that healthcare workers with the Red Cross planned to disinfect a local school infected with Ebola, crowds of central Guinean residents attacked an Ebola facility and healthcare workers, government officials reported Saturday, Feb. 14. Though the healthcare workers continue to try to fight and contain the disease, local uprisings have interfered greatly with their work in the field. And government officials are saying that the counterproductive actions of locals are forcefully giving the Ebola virus the upper hand.

Experimental ZMapp Treatment Off To Liberia to Begin Clinical Trials

Jan 24, 2015

The experimental ZMapp treatment created by Mapp Biopharmaceutical will soon begin human clinical tries in the United States and Liberia, following efforts to boost production capacity.

Ebola Virus Shuts Down Ohio Bridal Shop in Wake of US Deaths

Jan 09, 2015

Ebola isn’t just having a devastating effect on the human population, as the death tolls continue to rise. It appears with a recent closure that the viral infection is exhibiting ramifications in the economy, as well.

Biological Warfare on the Horizon? ISIS Soldiers May Be Infected With Ebola

Jan 05, 2015

It’s what national security organizations have feared since day one—the World Health Organization (WHO) announced last week that they are evaluating jihadist militants associated with ISIS, who may have contracted the virus responsible for Ebola. While the WHO has yet to confirm whether or not the fighters are exhibiting symptoms, the current evaluations of a Mosul hospital 250 miles north of Baghdad are prompting concerns that the fringe extremist group ISIS may in fact be able to obtain a biological weapon unlike anything the world has seen before.

FDA Approves a Fast-Acting Ebola Test

Dec 31, 2014

The fight to stop Ebola continues to rage on across the world as researchers continue to find new ways to both detect and treat the deadly virus. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved a new test to detect the virus in patients believed to be suffering from the virus.

Could Killing the Bats End New Ebola Transmission? Why Death Won’t Work

Dec 30, 2014

Pursuing the newest origin of the viral pathogen deep within the forests of West Africa, health officials believe that they may have found the source of the infection in a hollowed out tree. But the issue is far more complex than many would like to think.

Health Officials Believe They May Have Found Source of Newest Ebola Outbreak

Dec 30, 2014

While the viral pathogen continues to claim lives in West Africa, health officials believe that they may have now found the source of the infection, in a hollowed out tree. After making an expedition to patient zero’s—a two-year-old boy named Emile Ouamouno—hometown in Meliandou, Guinea, researchers believe that they may have found the source of Ebola in a hollow tree the young boy may have played in, which also is home to a colony of bats.

FDA Approves New Roche Ebola Test For Emergency Use

Dec 29, 2014

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded over 7,500 confirmed, and suspected Ebola deaths in the West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea; and more than 19,000 recorded cases in the said trio, which are the most heavily-affected countries in terms of Ebola. Early detection and quick action are therefore necessary to curb the further accelerated spread of the disease.

Lab Error Leads CDC to Suspect Health Officials May Be Infected With Ebola

Dec 29, 2014

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report saying a number of its scientists may have been exposed to the deadly Ebola virus. The scientists are said to have transferred a live Ebola sample to another lab by mistake.

Can the Blood of Survivors Help Cure Ebola? The Limitations and Expectations of a New Vaccine

Dec 24, 2014

The antibodies from the blood of survivors of the deadly disease may finally enable researchers to create a treatment that is effective against all the strains of the virus and stop its spread across Africa and the rest of the world.