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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 20, 2014 4:53 PM IST
Canada will start sending more than 1,000 doses of an experimental Ebola vaccine to Switzerland this week as part of the global fight against the deadly virus, a Geneva hospital said today. Trials of the vaccine on humans are expected to begin in Switzerland at the end of October or early next month, it said. 'The Canadian government has said it will begin sending the vaccine doses tomorrow, so they should arrive in Geneva on Tuesday,' said Agnes Reffet, spokeswoman for the Geneva University Hospital, HUG, where the vaccine will be stored.
Canada said in August it would give the Geneva-based World Health Organization 800 vials -- each believed to contain about two doses -- of the VSV-EBOV vaccine developed at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg. The UN health agency has identified two experimental vaccines that have shown promising results when tested on monkeys: The Canadian VSV-EBOV, licenced by US firm NewLink Genetics, and one made by British company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). (Read: How the Ebola virus spreads in humans)
Clinical trials of the NewLink vaccine began in the United States last week. The Canadian government said the results are due in December. 'You cannot transport this kind of product any which way,' Reffet told AFP, when asked why it had taken so long for Canada to send the vials. The vaccine must be stored at minus 80 degrees Celsius (-112 degrees Fahrenheit). (Read: What is the Ebola virus disease survival rate?)
Canada said it would send the vials in three separate air shipments as a precaution in case of an accident or a temperature control failure. The trials in Switzerland will be run by HUG, which has also been chosen by the Swiss government to care for Geneva-based employees of international aid organisations who might become infected with Ebola in the field. (Read: 10 reasons that make the Ebola virus deadly for humans)
There is no licenced treatment or vaccine against Ebola, which has killed more than 4,500 people in the outbreak centred in west Africa. WHO said last month it hoped thousands of doses of the vaccines would be ready for use badly hit African countries by early next year, but GSK warned Friday that its vaccine, which has started some clinical trials, might not be ready for commercial use until late 2016.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) with answers about the deadly Ebola disease -
How is the Ebola virus disease caused?
The Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a contagious disease caused by infection with one of the four strains of the Ebola virus. The Ebola virus belongs to the family of Filoviridae and the viral strains with potential for infection in humans are Zaire, Bundibugyo, Tai Forest and Sudan virus.
How does it spread?
The Ebola virus spreads through direct contact with the body fluids (semen, sweat, saliva and blood), infected objects (needles) and close skin contact with an infected person. It can also be transmitted through close contact with infected animals (handling the meat) and consumption of uncooked meat.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of Ebola virus usually appear between 2 to 21 days after being infected with the virus. The early symptoms include high fever (greater than 38.6 C), headache, drop in blood pressure and stomach pain. Whereas late signs of Ebola infections which indicate medical emergency are sore throat, jaundice, skin rashes, bleeding and loss of appetite. Read more about Ebola facts frequently asked questions (FAQ)
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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