Zee Media Bureau/Shruti Saxena
New Delhi: The Liberian government on Tuesday said that US authorities have approved its request to send sample doses of the experimental ZMapp drug to infected doctors.
The measure comes after Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made a request to US authorities for the dilevery of ZMapp drug.
Meanwhile, Liberia is struggling to contain an outbreak of the tropical virus which has caused 268 deaths till now.
A statement published on the Liberian presidency's website said, “The sample doses will be brought to Liberia by a US government representative this week”.
Altogether 1,013 people deaths have been recorded in the Ebola hit countries of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, the World Health Organisation said Monday.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on August 8 declared the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa as an international health emergency.
There are no proven vaccine or cure available for Ebola virus at present and the drug Zmapp has only been tested on monkeys and is yet unproven and unlicensed for use on humans.
However, the drug was given to two US patients affected with the virus and a Roman Catholic priest and all of them have shown signs of improvement.
Ebola virus, which spreads through mucous and other body fluids or secretions such as stool, urine, saliva and semen of infected people, is believed to be very difficult to control.
