Written By: Pavitra Sampath | Updated : October 17, 2014 2:02 PM IST
The second nurse who was infected with Ebola in the US is said to have taken two flights before her diagnosis. What makes matters worse here is the fact that experts think that she may have been sick and contagious throughout the duration of the two flights. Amber Vision, the nurse, could have been ill as early as last Friday, when she flew from Dallas to Ohio. In this regard, disease control specialists are being sent to Ohio to help monitor people she may have come into contact with.
In a statement to BBC the former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan said that her was 'bitterly disappointed' with the international response to the quickly spreading infection; stating that richer countries should move faster to contain the disease. His comments came after WHO said that it would 'ramp up' efforts to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus beyond the region most affected by the deadly virus, namely West Africa. According to reports, in the second day running, US President Barak Obama met with top officials responsible for containing the spread of Ebola in the US. Obama reiterated his earlier stance that people travelling from affected countries to the US should not be banned from travel, a view that has met a lot resistance from Republicans, saying that it would not be effective. Instead he said that they should monitor and track anyone who is in close proximity to the second nurse.
Ms Vinson, is the second nurse to be infected with the virus after caring for the Liberian man who came to Dallas, Texas after being infected with the virus. He subsequently succumbed to the infection on October 8th. In response to the fact that Ms Vinson may have been ill at the time she took a flight from Dallas, the CDC is planning to interview all the passengers in the same flight as Ms Vinson.
Why Ebola virus is mutating rapidly?
A recent research related to the Ebola virus disease (EVD) states that the Ebola virus is rapidly mutating, making it difficult to diagnose and treat. A study conducted on the initial patients being infected with the virus in Sierra Leone revealed more than 400 genetic modifications of the Ebola virus, which might prove detrimental for the ongoing treatment measures but also to the vaccines that are under clinical trials for future treatment of the Ebola virus.
The Researchers at the Broad Institute in Massachusetts and Harvard University warn that the Ebola virus is constantly undergoing mutation. The findings show that the future treatment options including vaccines as well as diagnosing of the disease will be very difficult and less effective as mutations will continue. As of now, the researchers have analysed around 99 Ebola viral genomes. Since the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in March, more than 1550 people have died of the Ebola virus disease. Earlier in August (24th), a new viral strain of the Ebola virus different from the one being observed in West Africa was detected in those from Democratic Republic of Congo, posing threat to million of lives all over the world. Read more about Ebola virus is mutating rapidly say scientists
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