Contagion

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U.S. Health Officials to Consider Use of Unapproved Ebola Meds

Thu, 2014-08-14 23:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

reuters.com - By David Morgan and Sharon Begley - August 7, 2014

(Reuters) - The Obama administration is forming a special Ebola working group to consider setting policy for the potential use of experimental drugs to help the hundreds infected by the deadly disease in West Africa, U.S. officials said on Thursday.

The group is being formed under Dr. Nicole Lurie, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services, an administration official said.

The action follows mounting international pressure as the death toll mounts to consider using untested treatments.

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(THE GLOBAL RESILIENCE SYSTEM IS ASSISTING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF A FACEBOOK PAGE TITLED
"Ebola Virus Info".
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE "Ebola Virus Info" FACEBOOK PAGE.)

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Ebola Virus Info - Facebook

Sun, 2014-08-10 20:28 — Kathy Gilbeaux

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Ebola Virus Info - Twitter - @InfoEbola

Sun, 2014-08-10 20:27 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Global Resilience System-great up to date info: http://t.co/u8ValDjczW
— Ebola Virus Info (@InfoEbola) August 7, 2014

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CSPAN - House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee - Ebola Virus

Thu, 2014-08-07 18:50 — Kathy Gilbeaux

c-span.org - August 7, 2014

The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing titled, “Combating the Ebola Threat.”

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(FOR THE LIVE INTERACTIVE HEALTHMAP - CLICK ON THE MAP IMAGE BELOW)

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2014 Ebola Outbreak - Live Interactive Healthmap

Wed, 2014-08-06 18:21 — Kathy Gilbeaux

http://healthmap.org/ebola/

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CLICK HERE - ZMapp - Information Sheet (1 page .PDF file)

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ZMapp - Information Sheet

Wed, 2014-08-06 12:59 — Kathy Gilbeaux

ZMapp TM is the result of a collaboration between Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc. and LeafBio (San Diego, CA), Defyrus Inc. (Toronto, Canada), the U.S. government and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

ZMapp TM is composed of three “humanized” monoclonal antibodies manufactured in plants, specifically Nicotiana. It is an optimized cocktail combining the best components of MB-‐003 (Mapp) and ZMAb (Defyrus/PHAC).

ZMapp TM was first identified as a drug candidate in January 2014 and has not yet been evaluated for safety in humans. As such very little of the drug is currently available.

Any decision to use an experimental drug in a patient would be a decision made by the treating physician under the regulatory guidelines of the FDA.

Mapp and its partners are cooperating with appropriate government agencies to increase production as quickly as possible.

http://www.mappbio.com/

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Experimental Ebola Serum Grown in Tobacco Leaves

Wed, 2014-08-06 11:16 — Kathy Gilbeaux

webmd.com - by Brenda Goodman - reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

Aug. 4, 2014 -- ZMapp, the experimental treatment rushed to two Americans infected with Ebola in Africa, is grown in specially modified leaves of tobacco -- a plant better known for harming health than healing.

“We complied with a request from Emory University and Samaritan’s Purse to provide a very limited amount of ZMapp last week,” says David Howard, a spokesman for Reynolds American Services, the parent company of Kentucky BioProcessing. The small biopharma company in Owensboro, KY, has been contracted to grow the drug.

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Q & A - What You Need to Know About the Ebola Outbreak

Wed, 2014-08-06 10:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Where is the Outbreak?

Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

nytimes.com - by Joe Burgess, Denise Grady, Josh Keller, Heather Murphy and Sergio Peçanha - August 6, 2014

What are the chances of getting Ebola in the United States?

Two American aid workers infected with the Ebola virus while working in West Africa are being treated at a hospital in Atlanta, in a containment unit for patients with dangerous infectious diseases. But the risk that anyone will contract Ebola in the United States is extremely small, experts say.

Doctors across the country are being reminded to ask for the travel history of anybody who comes in with a fever.

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9 Questions About this New Ebola Drug

Wed, 2014-08-06 09:43 — Kathy Gilbeaux

cnn.com - by By Jacque Wilson and Danielle Dellorto - August 5, 2014

(CNN) -- Two American missionary workers infected with the deadly Ebola virus were given an experimental drug that seems to have saved their lives.

Dr. Kent Brantly was given the medication, ZMapp, shortly after telling his doctors he thought he would die, according to a source familiar with his case. Within an hour, doctors say his symptoms -- labored breathing and a widespread rash -- dramatically improved. Nancy Writebol, another missionary working with Samaritan's Purse, received two doses of the medication and has also shown significant improvement, sources say.

As there is no proven treatment and no vaccine for Ebola, this experimental drug is raising lots of questions.