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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 9, 2014 6:09 PM IST
A UN spokesperson said that a staff member working for the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia has tested positive for Ebola. The head of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) Karin Landgren confirmed that this is the second member of the mission to contract Ebola in the country. The first victim died on September 25 according to xinhua reports. (Read: 8 tips to prevent Ebola infection)
The total number of confirmed, probable, and suspected cases in the West African epidemic of Ebola is 8,033 with 3,879 deaths, the World Health Organization said. 'The mission has taken all necessary measures to prevent any possible, further transmission within or outside the mission,' Landgren said. All UNMIL staff considered at risk have been isolated. Meanwhile, ambulances and other locations have been decontaminated, he added. (Read: What is the Ebola virus disease survival rate?)
Here s are some interesting facts about the Ebola virus that make it so deadly.
It can kill within seven days: Unlike other viruses (like HIV) that can remain dormant in a person for years without causing the disease, Ebola violently multiplies until the viral particles are amplified to about 100 million viral particles in a droplet of blood. Further, without resting in a dormant stage the virus kills the host to find a new one. The fatality rate of the disease is 60 percent.
There is no vaccine or treatment available:What makes this virus deadly is the fact that researchers have not been able to find an effective treatment or preventive technique to combat the virus and the spread of the disease. The experimental drug Zmapp has shown promising results but the safety and efficacy of the drug are to be evaluated. So, as of now, neither do we have an effective form of therapy nor do we have a vaccine to prevent the disease. Read more about 10 reasons that make the Ebola virus deadly for humans
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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