Zee Media Bureau/Shruti Saxena
New Delhi: World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday endorsed the usage of blood of survivors to treat those suffering from the deadly epidemic Ebola.
At a global conference held by the WHO in Geneva, more than 200 health officials acknowledged that the use of blood transfusion from a survivor into a sick patient, which when transferred will boost the immunity of the sick, as there are antibodies present in our body, which in turn help fight the dreaded Ebola infection.
Marie-Paule Kieny, an assistant director-general of the WHO was quoted as saying during the conference: “We have to change the sense that there is no hope”.
There is no proven vaccine or cure available for Ebola virus at present.
Health officials also assessed the usage of experimental Ebola drugs such as Zmapp. However, the supply of the drug is very limited at present.
Meanwhile, the first ever experimental Ebola vaccine trials have begun in the US.
Till date, the WHO has recorded 1,552 deaths, out of 3,069 reported cases, including 694 in Liberia, 430 in Guinea, 422 in Sierra Leone and six in Nigeria.
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 at present.
