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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 20, 2014 1:06 PM IST
The Spanish nurse, who had contracted Ebola virus while treating two missionaries from West African countries in a Madrid hospital earlier this month, is now Ebola free. Teresa Romero, 44, became the first person to contract Ebola outside West Africa. She has tested negative for the virus, the government said, although a second test is required before she can be declared free of Ebola, the result suggests, BBC reported. She contracted the virus when treating. (Read: What is the Ebola incubation period?)
Romero tested positive for the virus Oct 6. The missionaries later died from the disease. She might have become infected when she removed her protective suit, the report said. She may have touched her face with her gloves after treating one of the missionaries, a doctor in Madrid said. Romero has been treated at Carlos III hospital and was reportedly given a human serum containing antibodies from Ebola survivors. The Ebola outbreak has killed more than 4,500 people across West Africa, according to the World Health Organisation latest report. (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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