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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 30, 2014 7:24 PM IST
A female nurse who just returned to the US state of Texas after caring for Ebola patients in West Africa will voluntarily self-quarantine herself at home for the next three weeks, Governor Rick Perry has said. Perry made the announcement in a statement released Wednesday. But he did not name the nurse or identify the city where she is in quarantine, Xinhua reported. (Read: How the Ebola virus spreads in humans)
The nurse, who has not shown any signs of the disease, agreed on the home quarantine and the twice-daily monitoring for potential symptoms by the Texas department of state health services, the statement said. It noted that her work in West Africa placed her at 'some' risk under the protocols of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. (Read: Quarantine for Ebola what is it?)
Texas, once the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in the US, has seen three people infected with the deadly virus. The first of them, a Liberian visitor, died early this month at a Dallas hospital. Two nurses who cared for him tested positive for the virus subsequently, sending alarms to the whole country. The two nurses were then moved to special isolation units out of Texas separately and both were cured and discharged from hospitals later. Dozens of people in Texas who may have had contact with the Ebola patients are still being monitored for signs of the disease. Their quarantine will end early next month. (Read: 7 tips to prevent the spread of Ebola)
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
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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